Sam Quinones makes an impassioned plea for state regulation of legal cannabis potency levels to safeguard children and to protect responsible adult cannabis users in his story, "Regulate potency in pot before legalizing it" (Forum, Aug. 21).

I agree, and it is exactly why I, along with a bipartisan coalition of legislators, authored the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, which was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year and provides California's first comprehensive regulations for medical cannabis to protect patients, promote public safety and preserve the environment.

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Justin Calvino raked a hand beneath a shimmering marijuana plant, combing through chips of century-old apple trees and manure from his stable of miniature horses.

Come fall, the rich soil on his North Mendocino coast pot farm coupled with other factors like characteristic foggy mornings will yield high-grade sativa buds dripping with mind-altering potency - as well as notes of chocolate and lime.

It's a unique product for discriminating palates and one Calvino hopes to market to consumers across California through a legally defined and protected geographical identification system similar to what's used in the wine industry.

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If you do anything on Election Day, get out there and get all of your friends and neighbors to vote no on Measure L.

Think of the reasons you decided to move to, or stay in, Butte County - - rapidly becoming one of the few nice California communities left with small family farms, nice neighborhoods and decent people. Pot farmers have already brought crime and nuisance to our communities. Now with Measure L they threaten to up the ante even further: huge indoor grows up to one-half acre; outdoor grows occupying up to one-quarter of a parcel; dispensaries every 1,000 feet; and damage to the environment including chemicals that poison our land and waters and kill pets and wildlife.

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Among the 17 statewide ballot measures on Californians' Nov. 8 ballots will be Proposition 64, which claims to legalize recreational marijuana use in the state.

Plenty of good reasons spring to mind to vote in favor of Prop 64, not the least of which is the new revenue stream it would bring from taxes on the drug, as well as potentially reduced costs in, or at least redirection of, law enforcement.

But there are three solid reasons that should give voters pause. First, it's illegal. "It is important to recognize that these state marijuana (legalization) laws do not change the fact that using marijuana continues to be an offense under federal law," says the office of National Drug Control Policy. The federal Controlled Substances Act outlaws cannabis.

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The higher the THC content in cannabis, the smaller amount required to be ingested for the desired effect. It is wrong to compare substances that have lethal doses, such as alcohol and opiates, to cannabis, which does not.

End prohibition and there will be no reason to buy cannabis from criminals. In California, we have developed hundreds of mom-and-pop growers. We are not going back to Mexican weed no matter how hard the government tries to force a return.

The misinformation spread by the prohibitionists will only get more prevalent as more people come to believe it is time for prohibition to end.

Dan King, Sacramento

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But Supporters of California Bill Say Such Advertising Isn't Possible

Polls show that Californians generally support marijuana legalization. But opponents of the state's Proposition 64 have seized on a new message that they hope will persuade voters to reject the ballot measure in November: the idea that legalization would lead to a flood of TV ads for marijuana.

The assertion is based on a provision in the measure that states that advertising for marijuana products "shall only be displayed where at least 71.6 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be 21 years of age or older." It mirrors the language of the alcohol industry's self-imposed advertising restrictions.

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Of all the wrongs meted out by the criminal justice system, few are more unfair to poor, mostly minority Americans than the way police abuse civil asset forfeiture laws.

Every year, cops seize and keep millions of dollars in cash and property from people who haven't been charged with - or convicted of - - a crime. They do it without warrants and use proceeds from the seized assets to pad depleted police department budgets.

Stories abound of Californians being pulled over for minor traffic offenses only to have their vehicles towed away and cash taken. Nationally, police take more property from Americans than burglars do, violating rights in the name of fighting crime.

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Re "Regulate potency in pot before legalizing it" (Forum, Aug. 21): Any attempt to regulate the potency - the THC level - of cannabis will just keep the black market thriving and the drug cartels profiting. Environmental disasters due to rogue growers will not be curtailed.

The author says he researched his story, but he compares cannabis to alcohol and opiates? Marijuana is nowhere near as addicting, and no one has ever died from excessive cannabis intake.

Decades of research point to a variety of medical uses for this unique compound, including pain relief, relief from PTSD, nausea and vomiting, as well as appetite stimulation, and benefits for asthma, glaucoma and as a sleep aid. The much revered Rick Simpson Oil used as a cure for cancer contains a high level of THC.

I do agree with Sam Quinones that "legalizing marijuana needs to happen," but not with his concept of regulating the THC level.

Jeff Ball, Sacramento

[end]

Staff Reports

Chico - A nearly year-long investigation resulted in a raid Tuesday on a downtown business that police say netted marijuana-refining equipment for sale and landed three men in jail.

The Dungeon, a jewelry and smoking shop on the 100 block of Broadway, had been under investigation for 11 months, according to a news release from the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force. The narcotics agents served a search warrant Tuesday around 1:30 p.m.

Four complete closed loop butane honey oil production systems, components for additional systems, including extraction tubes, presses and commercial grade ovens, more than 1,000 cans of butane and 13 canisters of 14-pound butane refrigerant were found at the store, according to the release.

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So I just heard that some people are using high doses of CBD to counteract the effects of ingesting too much THC. Does this really work?

- -Oso Hyman

Good question. One of the things we know about cannabidiol (CBD) is that it acts as a sort of THC inhibitor. Cannabis plants with a high amount of THC but low CBD content will get you "higher" than plants with a high CBD content, even if the THC percentage is the same. No one has done any studies yet, but there are anecdotal reports of folks, especially those folks that enjoy cannabis concentrates (hash, wax, dabs, hash oil, etc.) or edibles, using either a sublingual CBD tincture or pills containing a high amount of CBD, to assuage the effects of overindulgence. In fact, my homie Grand Daddy Mike is working on a commercial product designed to lessen the effects of THC in case of accidental or intentional cannabis overindulgence.

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Who's Afraid of the Bulgarians?

I get alarmed calls every week about the Bulgarians. They're paying exorbitant sums for property in Petrolia, Bridgeville and Alderpoint, I'm told. They're jogging along rural roads with automatic rifles strapped to their backs, according to one woman at a recent community meeting. They're buying out family ranches and slowly taking over the county. And - although absolutely no proof has been offered from either my tipsters or law enforcement - they're all somehow connected to an organized crime cartel.

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My first encounter with the cannabis industry was in November 2014 at a marijuana business conference in Las Vegas. At the time, the plant was not part of my life, but the story of a federally illegal drug at the center of the country's fastest growing industry seemed like an incomparably rich subject. Soon, I was making plans to move to Denver to cover the business story of the decade.

Almost two years in, I still think legalization is both inherently fascinating and historically important. It's been a source of puzzlement to me why there aren't more reporters who agree. In its implications for American life, legalization is up there with marriage equality, Black Lives Matter and perhaps even climate change, but it hasn't generated the same kind of national debate.

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Rancho Cordova Bans Dispensaries, Sacramento Allows Them and Other Cities Fall in the Middle

Sometimes, Stephanie Raskin smokes marijuana to stop thinking about suicide. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression, she remains stable through a blend of prescription pills that must be constantly tweaked to match her body chemistry. When the pharmaceuticals fall short, she supplements her treatment with medical marijuana. But her hometown, Rancho Cordova, bans dispensaries. And the closest one is 11 miles away.

"It's frustrating," she said. "Especially with my condition, I get debilitatingly depressed to the point where everything is a monumental task. I only smoke because my depression can cause suicidal thoughts. And sativa can keep me from reaching those depths. I'm not one of those sit-on-the-couch stoners."

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The California State Sheriffs' Association claims marijuana seriously impairs driving and has other adverse consequences. Yet researchers find that while obviously inadvisable, marijuana only modestly affects driving (Journal of Drug And Alcohol Dependence, June 23, 2016).

Marijuana users know their performance is impaired and compensate by slowing down and being especially attentive. By contrast, inebriated drivers are seriously impaired. They merely think they are in control; in fact, they speed, weave across lanes, have lethally slower reaction times, and cause thousands of accidents (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 2015).

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Two groups studying the cannabis economy say legalizing recreational marijuana in California will provide a $1.6 billion boost in revenue from expanded retail marijuana sales.

The projections on California's Proposition 64 legalization measure in November come from two firms with a vested interest in expanding the marijuana business. The market study was completed by New Frontier Data, a Washington, D.C., firm conducting cannabis market research, and the ArcView Group, an Oakland organization specializing in attracting investment for marijuana businesses and legalization causes.

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State Assemblyman Jim Wood's Cottage Cannabis Farmers Bill cleared one of its last hurdles Wednesday and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk for a final signature, after which it would become law.

Assembly Bill 2516 would establish a new medical marijuana cultivator license category for what Wood calls, "microfarmers."

The new license, or specialty cottage cultivator license, would be available to farmers with 2,500 square feet or less of total canopy size for mixed-light cultivation, up to 25 mature marijuana plants for outdoor cultivation, or 500 square feet or less of total canopy size for indoor cultivation, per parcel.

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EDITOR: You recently reported that Santa Rosa officials "see significant economic development opportunities" associated with the (assumed) future legalization of marijuana ("SR aims to be epicenter of legal pot industry," Aug. 14). In a subsequent editorial ("Defining Santa Rosa's place in the pot industry," Aug. 17), you suggested a cautionary approach because of the many unresolved issues associated with the marijuana industry. These advocacy efforts should also consider a few unmentioned issues:

In Colorado, consumption of marijuana by youth 12-17 years old has significantly increased since recreational marijuana was legalized. Usage is 74 percent higher than the national average.

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Santa Rosa has rolled out the welcome mat to the marijuana industry, and the first firm through the door is affiliated with none other than the godfather of ganja - Bob Marley.

Privateer Holdings, a Seattle investment firm aiming to build a global marijuana brand based on the image of the famed Jamaican reggae singer, has picked Santa Rosa to be the headquarters for its expansion into the lucrative California cannabis market.

City officials Tuesday approved a request by the company to set up a medical cannabis-processing, manufacturing and distribution center in a nondescript business park in southwest Santa Rosa.

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Re: DEA is blowing more smoke over marijuana, Fresno Bee editorial Aug. 14.

We are like the frogs in the pot of water. Only we the frogs are turning up the heat on ourselves by passing Proposition 64 and making marijuana legal for recreational use. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are at least three problems with marijuana use:

It may cause the user to become paranoid schizophrenic.

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Re: "Prop. 47 giving men, women second chance" [Opinion, Aug. 21]: B. Wayne Hughes Jr. notes that Prop. 47 changes lives. I couldn't agree more. Now that we have so many more homeless drug addicts being released into our neighborhoods and cities, our life has indeed changed. What is it that supporters of this proposition don't understand? When you don't hold people accountable for their actions, they will repeat those actions over and over. And why is it now "non-serious" to steal up to $950 from me?

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