Pubdate: Thu, 30 Aug 2012
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority

SUPERVISORS WISE TO REFOCUS ON POT

We believe there should be restrictions on growing pot, but 
supervisors also need to be realistic about what voters will accept.

There's nothing like the words "unconstitutional," "expensive" and 
"unenforceable" to slap some sense into elected officials.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors heard about all of the problems 
with the marijuana growing ordinance they wanted drawn up, then 
quickly backtracked. Hate to say "we told you so," but ...

We're not sure what point three of the five county supervisors were 
trying to make when they decided to attempt to pass an ordinance that 
banned all outdoor growing of marijuana in the county's 
unincorporated area. As we said in a previous editorial, we don't 
think there's anything wrong with the idea - we just know it has 
absolutely no chance of becoming law.

Voters just rejected a much more permissive ordinance in June. We 
agreed with supervisors on those restrictions. Voters did not. We 
were surprised by that.

We knew this new attempt at an ordinance, banning all outdoor 
growing, would never survive the referendum process. The voters made 
it clear they wanted something less restrictive than the June 
attempt, not more restrictive.

Rather than trying to ramrod through what they want, supervisors came 
to the wise realization Tuesday that they should focus on what voters 
will stomach, what is enforceable and what is lawful.

The supervisors decided to do what should have been done a month ago 
- - form a committee to work through the problem. The committee will 
include supervisors, the county's chief attorney, the district 
attorney, other law enforcement officials, and both marijuana 
advocates and residents who have been threatened, intimidated and 
otherwise inconvenienced by marijuana growing in their neighborhood.

The marijuana growing advocates need to agree to curbs in the sheer 
size of "co-op" plantations and need to agree to restrict growing 
somehow on small lots, in less-rural neighborhoods and near schools 
and public meeting places.

People who don't like marijuana in their neighborhoods need to 
realize that it's allowed, to some extent, under Proposition 215.

The supervisors were elected to find that happy medium - or maybe it 
will be an unhappy medium, which would be a sign that the compromise 
is fitting.

We still believe supervisors should pass the most stringent law 
possible that will also pass muster with voters. The last part of 
that sentence makes that a difficult task.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom