There's welcome news about young peoples' healthy choices.

The kids (most of them) are all right (mostly). Twenty-first century American teenagers may be pudgier than in the past, but they're less likely to abuse drugs, get drunk, smoke, commit a violent crime or get pregnant.

The annual Monitoring the Future survey reported generally good news for eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders. In particular, eighth-graders are making wiser health choices.

In 1996, 21 percent of eighth-graders were smokers; that's dropped to 7 percent. Meanwhile, disapproval of smoking has soared.

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Oroville resident and founder of the Drug Endangered Children's program, Sue Webber-Brown, was recently invited to meet with President George Bush.

She is one of 12 people who received a special invitation to speak to the president about their work in drug prevention programs.

President Bush hosted meetings on "Teen Drug Use" on Dec. 11, and he had a press conference in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to White House concerning the results of the "Monitoring the Future" study conducted by the University of Michigan.

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City Files Amicus Brief for Medical ID Cards

In the legal tug of war between the county and state over medical marijuana, the city of San Diego has sided with Sacramento and voters.

Lawyers from the City Attorney's Office have filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit between San Diego County and the state Department of Justice.

County supervisors hope a panel of appellate judges will relieve them of their obligation under state law to issue identification cards to qualified patients.

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Joshua Blackburn, a Six-Year Veteran, Is Accused of Stealing More Than 40 Kilograms From an Evidence Locker.

The Orange County district attorney's office said Wednesday that California Highway Patrol Officer Joshua Blackburn could spend more than 25 years in state prison if he is convicted of stealing more than 40 kilograms of cocaine valued at $1 million.

Judge Cheryl Leininger set bail at $4 million during Blackburn's first court appearance Wednesday. She also required Blackburn to show that any money used to post bail was earned through legitimate sources.

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Local television producer Jimmy Rickel has taken a bold step to answer former Congressman Dan Hamburg's challenge to put Measure G up to a vote.

Measure G is the county voter initiative that declared prosecuting the cultivation of marijuana would be the lowest priority for county law enforcement, and in no case would local law enforcement arrest and no district attorney would prosecute anybody for growing 25 or fewer marijuana plants.

It was approved by 58 percent of the voters in November 2000.

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At a special meeting, the Willits City Council voted to send a letter to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors urging them to place a measure on the June 2008 ballot to repeal Measure G and in support of the recently passed county ordinance restricting marijuana cultivation.

Few members of the public attended the Thursday, December 20 evening meeting and only Vice Mayor Larry Stranske, Councilman Greg Kanne and Councilwoman Tami Jorgensen were present representing the council. The vote was unanimous.

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POT SHOP RAID REFLECTS LEGAL DIVIDE (NO. 8)

The Owner of a Medical Marijuana Dispensary That Was Shut Down in May Continues to Fight the Order

The owner of a Morro Bay medical marijuana dispensary that was shut down in May continues to fight the U.S. Attorney's Office over charges that he grew and sold cannabis for profit and distributed it to minors.

Charles Lynch of Arroyo Grande pleaded not guilty to charges in August. His trial is scheduled for the spring, he said.

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While most think of cancer and AIDS when hearing of medical marijuana, in recent years most marijuana recommendations have been issued for far less serious illnesses by a small cadre of "pot docs." Medical marijuana recommendations seem to be evolving into Get Out of Jail Free cards rather than treatment for serious medical conditions.

An estimated 95 percent of patients visiting "pot docs" are already significant pot users seeking approval for their drug use, and a small group of physicians are willing to fulfill their request.

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Knowing the law helps protect you from legal liability for the behavior of others.

You have a right to refuse to rent to or allow people to live on your property, based on legitimate business criteria. People with poor credit, poor maintenance habits and poor public records are not likely to increase your property value or your income.

You can be held liable for the behavior of those who live on your property. If they create a public nuisance or criminal behavior, it is you who will be held responsible (if you are aware of the infraction and allowing it). You are also held (legally) responsible for the behavior of your employees and property managers.

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Court Orders and Ballot Measures Like Jessica's Law Have Helped Fuel Spending, Which Has Climbed 79% Since '03.

SACRAMENTO -- When a judge put Robert Sillen in charge of healthcare in California prisons, the medical staff was vastly underpaid. Software used to track inmates' medical histories could not transfer information between computers.

San Quentin State Prison had only one phone line for incoming calls and none to dial out, isolating doctors who needed to talk to specialists and other professionals.

"It's just shameful what the state has done," Sillen said in an interview.

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To the Editor:

While in the Bay Area last week, I had the opportunity to sit and observe that a medical marijuana dispensary (as allowed by law) was by far the busiest business in a small strip mall; raking in big bucks.

Now, I am just a retired civil servant unable to find employment and not the brightest nail in the box, so here is an idea that someone must have thought of and not bothered to follow through on.

With local law enforcement pulling up tons of marijuana plants a season, to defray costs, why don't they just package the product?

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Mendocino County's Decriminalization Of Personal Use Has Fueled Backlash Against Surging Production

UKIAH -- A campaign is under way to repeal a landmark Mendocino County measure that decriminalized the personal use of marijuana, a first in the United States when the local initiative was passed by voters in 2000.

Measure G won by a 58-42 percent margin and was seen then as a way for local people to use up to 25 marijuana plants per individual for medical reasons without fear of prosecution.

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EDITOR: I couldn't help but notice the influx of articles published in The Press Democrat regarding marijuana in the last few months.

I really never thought of marijuana as being a dangerous drug, whether used as a recreational drug or as a treatment for those who are ill and use it to relieve pain and discomfort. This in and of itself does not concern me.

What does concern me is that there is a trend. Guns and violence surround the act of growing and distributing this drug. People get killed, violent acts occur, there are police chases including one -- involving a semi-automatic weapon -- that began in Windsor and ended in Forestville. One young man was beaten and put in a coma. Are we all feeling safe now? How do you feel about the guy next door growing marijuana even though he may be doing it with good intentions? Should he be allowed to do this even though it puts you, your children or grandchildren at risk?

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SACRAMENTO - President Bush has signed into law a bill co-sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, to help clean up methamphetamine labs and the toxic mess they leave behind.

Bush signed HR365 late last week. The proposal requires the Environmental Protection Agency to set guidelines for federal aid to state and local authorities charged with cleaning up former meth lab sites.

"Meth use is a critical problem for so many parts of the country, including the Central Valley," McNerney said. "Frequently, meth labs are located in residential neighborhoods. Innocent people could be put at undue risk from the toxic residue that remains after meth production in that home or hotel room is abandoned."

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Law Enforcement Authorities Back the Ban by Saying the Dispensaries Attract Crime.

Merced County officials passed a law this week permanently banning medical marijuana dispensaries across the unincorporated county.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to support the law, which mirrors ordinances already adopted by the cities of Merced, Los Banos and Atwater.

Though there are no marijuana dispensaries in Merced County, officials said during Tuesday's board meeting that dispensaries have proven troublesome in other communities. Besides attracting crime, they can lower nearby property values, disrupt nearby businesses and increase illegal drug use and demands on police, county planning officials said.

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Panel Says Jury Wrong to Rely on Police Testimony About Defendant's Intent to Sell

Police officers who have only limited experience dealing with people who possess marijuana legally do not have a sufficient basis to determine whether such persons intend to sell it, the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled Friday.

In a unanimous opinion, Div. Three reversed Christopher James Chakos' conviction for possessing marijuana for sale based on a lack of evidence, saying the police officer upon whose expert testimony the conviction was based had no expertise in differentiating between individuals who possess marijuana lawfully for their own consumption, and those who possess it unlawfully with the intent to sell.

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OROVILLE -- After an hour-long deliberation Friday afternoon, a jury found a Chico man not guilty of charges he cultivated marijuana and stored it illegally.

It's thought by attorneys to be the first case tried in Butte County Superior Court under California Senate Bill 420, which allows people with medical marijuana prescriptions to form a cooperative or collective to grow for their recommended use.

Brett Eric Johnsen was on trial for what Butte County authorities said was an illegal garden growing in his house on West First Street. Butte County sheriff's officers found the garden May 30 upon entering Johnsen's home on a search warrant. They reportedly found plants hanging from a bedroom ceiling and an elaborate garden filled with flowering marijuana in the basement.

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A person who carries a small amount of marijuana with a doctor's note allowing medical use can't be convicted of dealing the drug just because police thought he was a dealer, a state appeals court ruled Friday.

In overturning an Orange County man's conviction for possessing marijuana for sale, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana said the prosecutor needed more evidence of sales than the opinion of a sheriff's deputy who specialized in investigating narcotics dealers.

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Re "DEA alerts pot-store landlords," Dec. 15: Landlords are responsive to and dependent upon government agencies for policing authority. Landlords have no policing authority.

In a recent call to the Sheriff's Department, we were advised that eviction for selling drugs was an option only if the resident went to jail. So, if the sheriff doesn't take action, we can't. The person we talked to also indicated it would be considered "vigilante" behavior for which the sheriff would take action against the landlord. The DEA says we could lose our property for failure to act; the sheriff penalizes if we act. The result is we are governed by two authorities with diametrically opposed views. If this went to court, landlords would expend private funds for defense in what appears to be an interagency dispute.

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BRENTWOOD - Tuesday night, the Brentwood City Council unanimously approved a permanent ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. Police Capt. Brian Strock and Brentwood Planning Manager Heidi Klein made a presentation on the ordinance before the voting.

California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, making marijuana legal for medicinal purposes while possession of marijuana remains illegal under federal law. City code neither allows nor explicitly prevents the presence of such dispensaries in Brentwood. Just last year the city council approved a temporary ban pending investigation of negative impacts of facilities on neighborhoods and communities.

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