Pubdate: Sat, 02 Jul 2011
Source: Union, The (Grass Valley, CA)
Copyright: 2011 The Union
Contact: http://apps.theunion.com/utils/forms/lettertoeditor/
Website: http://www.theunion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/957
Author: Patricia Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN NEVADA COUNTY

In this era of viral political discord where neither side is open to 
the ideology of the opposing party, my encounter with Sheriff Keith 
Royal and District Attorney Cliff Newell at the zoning board's 
council meeting to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in Nevada 
County was encouraging.

When we introduced ourselves, I made it clear that we were on 
opposite sides of the fence on this issue. To my amazement, both the 
sheriff and D.A. remained friendly and courteous when I had expected 
them to back away as if I were Typhoid Mary.

Often we tend to associate with people of a like mind. As a patient 
consultant, I know I see medical marijuana from a totally different 
perspective than the sheriff, who must deal with people trying to 
circumvent the law. That we could find some common ground was a step 
toward developing a

rational policy dealing with medical marijuana.

The question remains how to get quality medicine to residents of 
Nevada County while curtailing the illegal growers who are selling 
their product out of state or here on the streets. It's easy to adopt 
a nimby (not in my backyard) attitude toward dispensaries; it is far 
more difficult to draft an ordinance that gives patients access 
without creating a nuisance factor. But it can be done.

Right now, a patient has few options for legally obtaining marijuana 
in Nevada County. One option is to grow their own (which takes an 
unreasonably long amount of time to accomplish when one needs their 
medicine now) or to join a collective. Unfortunately, many older 
patients do not have access to finding a collective. Perhaps a 
registry could be established to match patients with legal 
collectives operating in our county.

Otherwise a patient must find a reputable dispensary to supply their 
meds, which is more difficult than it sounds given the glut of 
dispensaries operating today. I'm the first to admit that 90 percent 
of the dispensaries should be put out of business.

The same goes for most growers. Most of them are in it strictly for 
the money and care little for the well-being of the patients who 
truly benefit from marijuana therapy. The industry is a little late 
in imposing self-regulation and has created a "stoner party" image 
that is an insult to serious patients.

The other 10 percent serve their communities well. A good dispensary 
looks like a medical office from the outside (which it is) rather 
than a head shop or strip bar staffed with scantily clad, buxom 
beauties. A good dispensary is staffed with professional employees 
who are well versed in the various strains of marijuana and know 
which strains alleviate which symptoms.

Ordinances have been drafted by several communities lately that 
include requirements that all of the products distributed through the 
dispensary must be lab-tested for quality and purity. This measure 
eliminates the bad growers who use toxic chemicals and pesticides 
from pushing their products on unsuspecting patients.

Unfortunately, very few dispensaries are willing to spend the money 
to test their products. A few dispensaries in Sacramento have 
lab-tested strains, but more often a patient has to travel to the Bay 
Area to obtain quality meds. This is an undo hardship for elderly or 
terminally ill patients.

Mendocino has enacted a certification program where each grower must 
comply with certain strict ordinances. Zip ties are purchased from 
the sheriff's office for $50 each and must be attached to each plant. 
There are restrictions on the amount of plants that can be grown on 
one site and limits to the size of the footprint that the garden can 
occupy. Growers have to demonstrate that they have the patient base 
to justify the amount of plants they are cultivating or that they are 
growing exclusively for a certain dispensary. This would separate the 
legal from the illegal grows and make law enforcement's efforts easier.

Third party certification programs are available to make sure that 
growers use environmentally sound procedures to produce their crops. 
Together with lab-testing, this ensures the patient of a quality 
product. Growers not willing to follow these requirements should look 
for another line of work.

I don't know how many plants are currently being grown in Nevada 
County, but my guess is at $50 each, it would go a long way toward 
closing the gap in our budget deficit and perhaps save the jobs of 
scores of teachers, firemen or police.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom