Pubdate: Sun, 07 Feb 2016
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2016 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

CHICO COUNCIL WISE TO CHILL ON MARIJUANA ISSUE

Time is too short to waste it spinning your wheels, especially in 
local government where every exercise costs staff time and money.

The city of Chico avoided one unnecessary fire drill Tuesday and 
wisely chose to take a wait-and-see attitude on a second one, all 
related to the always-confusing topic of marijuana regulation.

The City Council appeared to take a cue from the marijuana users. 
Relax. Mellow out. Chill.

That was the right choice.

Cities and counties have been scrambling since October, when the 
state government came up with one of those brilliant "solutions" that 
makes everything more complicated. Assembly Bill 21, signed by Gov. 
Jerry Brown, said that if cities and counties do not have rules about 
medical marijuana cultivation, dispensaries and delivery services in 
place by March 1, state laws would apply.

Several north state cities and counties scrambled to hold hearings 
and make changes in December and January. Most of the new regulations 
were very restrictive. That was the easiest solution. Cities and 
counties wanted something on the books that they could refine later, 
just so they didn't have to abide by the state's rules.

Based on the state's incompetent handling of the issue of marijuana 
use and cultivation in the 20 years since the passage of Proposition 
215, it's a safe bet that local control is better than whatever the 
state throws our way.

Meanwhile, legislators heard the complaints that the March 1 deadline 
was ridiculous and didn't leave time for meaningful debate. They 
quickly passed emergency legislation removing the March 1 
requirement. Brown signed it Wednesday, the day after the Chico City 
Council meeting.

We imagine that now the cities and counties that took emergency 
actions - like Chico could have done Tuesday - will revisit their 
decisions and debate them again. Most cities and counties probably 
were content with what they had before. Another round of public 
meetings means more staff time and money wasted.

Chico wisely looked even farther down the road than March 1. The 
council agreed unanimously (yes, unanimously) not to make any changes 
on the city's wholly adequate marijuana laws until after the November 
election, despite a motion by Council Randall Stone to draft a 
committee to meet and discuss strategies.

Another marijuana legalization proposition is likely to be on the 
ballot, and the question of legalization does better in the polls all the time.

The city of Chico, and any other north state municipality, would be 
wise to see what sort of hand is dealt by state voters in November 
before debating wholesale changes that might be moot by the time they 
are written, debated and enacted.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom