Pubdate: Tue, 19 Jul 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
Author: Dani Anguiano

NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE TO GO BEFORE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Oroville - A new medical marijuana initiative seeking to replace 
current Butte County marijuana laws with new regulations has gained 
enough signatures to move forward to the Butte County Board of Supervisors.

Proponents for the Medical Cannabis Cultivation and Commerce Measure 
gathered nearly 12,000 signatures on petitions. The Butte County 
Clerk-Recorder's Office verified 6,177 signatures, the number 
required for such an initiative to move forward, on July 11.

The measure's proponents seek to repeal the county's current 
marijuana laws, Chapter 34A of the Butte County code, and establish 
new regulations. The measure will be addressed at the next board of 
supervisors meeting July 26, where supervisors will have the option 
to adopt the measure, or put it before voters in November or in a 
special election.

Proponents of the measure, Jessica MacKenzie and Brian Maguire, seek 
to put in place new regulations to regulate the cultivation, 
manufacturing, testing, distribution, transportation and storage of 
medical cannabis in Butte County, and amend the county code that 
prohibits dispensaries.

The measure would establish specific land use requirements for the 
cultivation of medical cannabis and related commercial activities in 
existing zoning districts, and would require permits for all 
commercial cannabis activities.

It would also establish design requirements for buildings used in the 
distribution and manufacturing of cannabis, as well as buildings used 
in the transportation of cannabis and for dispensary operations. 
Within the new regulations, cannabis would not be classified as a 
nuisance unless a person or entity is in violation of new regulations.

Existing cannabis cultivations and related activities would be 
required to comply with the new regulations within 12 months of adoption.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors will discuss and vote on the 
measure at a meeting at 9 a.m. July 26. Supervisors will have the 
option of adopting the prescribed regulations, or putting the measure 
before voters.

This new medical marijuana measure comes just a month after voters 
approved Measures G and H. Measure G, which upholds the county 
supervisors' decision on making marijuana exempt on "right to farm" 
laws, received 59.5 percent of yes votes, and 40.5 percent opposed. 
Measure H, which adds to the enforcement provisions included in the 
county's medical marijuana growing rules, passed with 58.5 percent of 
the vote, compared with 41.5 percent opposed.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom