Pubdate: Fri, 16 Mar 2012
Source: Record Searchlight (Redding, CA)
Copyright: 2012 Record Searchlight
Contact:  http://www.redding.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/360
Author: Jenny Espino

REDDING POT RULING DRAWS COUNCIL CONFUSION

Redding leaders were scratching their heads Thursday, a day after 
Shasta County Superior Court struck down the city's ban on medical 
marijuana storefront collectives.

"The whole issue of medical marijuana is in a state of flux in 
California," said council member Francie Sullivan, unsure what the 
city's next step should be. "My heart goes out to the people who are 
arguing, because the law is not clear on this."

The council plans to go into closed session Tuesday night to decide 
whether to continue a legal fight and appeal the court's ruling.

The council's confusion stems in part over how to reconcile state and 
federal law. The latter still deems marijuana an illegal drug. But at 
least one council member put the blame on City Attorney Rick Duvernay 
for taking the council in the "wrong direction."

"It's become a tangled mess and ultimately we're spending a lot of 
tax dollars on something that did not need to happen," said Patrick 
Jones, who in 2010, when he presided as mayor, favored banning all 
marijuana activity in the city.

Duvernay thought the city could regulate the co-ops and the council 
followed his advice, Jones said.

"Looking back now, not heading down this path at all would have been 
the best direction. I doubt he would admit to that," he said.

Council members entered nebulous territory last fall when they 
unanimously voted to ban storefront collectives. The city at the time 
had 16, although Duvernay said there had been 30 or more before the 
permitting system went in place.

"I think there is plenty of room for people to still grow marijuana 
for themselves and for their neighbors who have prescriptions. I 
think you can have up to 10," Sullivan said. "What we said was, 'You 
can't have a business and sell the marijuana. You gotta close the storefront.'"

She lamented the pressure municipalities and courts are under in 
trying to interpret a law state lawmakers should define and fine-tune.

In Riverside County, a dispensary trying to open its doors scored a 
victory against Rancho Mirage on Tuesday. A judge ruled the city 
cannot deny the dispensary's request for a certificate of occupancy.

"It's clear that no one in the state of California has any idea what 
we're doing here," said Rick Bosetti, a council member running for an 
Assembly seat. "A community such as Redding cannot make a decision 
until the big dogs learn how to play with each other."

Meanwhile, Jones said several of Redding's largest cannabis 
dispensaries have been receiving letters from the U.S. Eastern 
District Court warning them their activities still are illegal under 
federal law.

"I suspect more letters will come and I suspect they (the court) will 
pay more attention and I suspect more complaints will come from 
neighbors," he said.

Sullivan said the debate over medical marijuana won't be going away 
for a long time. Questions still need to be answered about 
appropriate dosage and quality control, much like other prescriptions 
drugs, she said.

"The people of California have said the people who want marijuana for 
medical needs should have it. That is the will of the people," 
Sullivan said. "The Legislature has to define it in a way to make 
that happen and be safe."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom