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1 US CA: Existing Ban on Marijuana Dispensaries Remains in PlaceFri, 31 Dec 2010
Source:Valley News (Temecula, CA)          Area:California Lines:51 Added:12/31/2010

RIVERSIDE - The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted to halt a plan to regulate medical marijuana collectives, leaving in place an existing ban on dispensaries that allows code enforcement officers to crack down on storefront operations popping up around the county.

The move comes on the heels of recent bans in Los Angeles and Orange counties and a Riverside County Superior Court ruling that the City of Riverside can use its zoning power to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. Without a similar ban in place, Riverside County likely would become a magnet for Southern California dispensaries and criminal enterprises.

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2 US CA: The Closing of the Marijuana FrontierFri, 31 Dec 2010
Source:Washington Monthly (DC) Author:Gravois, John Area:California Lines:883 Added:12/31/2010

California Is Not Just Deciding Whether Pot Should Be Legal. It's Determining the Shape of a Major New American Industry.

When my wife and I bought a house last year in the little town of Ukiah, California, the first person to offer us advice about growing marijuana was our realtor.

The house was a stolid 1909 prairie box that had been partitioned into four units, with a front porch, dark green trim, and a couple of fruit trees in the yard. It was charming, but we probably would have settled for a yurt. What mattered most to us was having a foothold in Mendocino County, a place we had long ago decided was the most beautiful in America.

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3 US CA: Lighter Criminal Offense For Marijuana Finds FavorTue, 28 Dec 2010
Source:Imperial Valley Press (CA)          Area:California Lines:68 Added:12/30/2010

The majority of area residents interviewed Monday support lessened criminal penalties for possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana.

The new law, SB1449, sponsored by state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, takes effect beginning in January along with numerous other legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana the law changes from a misdemeanor to an infraction. That means offenders will no longer face arrest, a criminal record and having to appear in court. The maximum penalty of a $100 fine and no jail time remains the same as before.

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4 US CA: LTE: Marijuana Deal Is Not ChristianWed, 29 Dec 2010
Source:Hi-Desert Star (Yucca Valley, CA) Author:Mays, Anthony Area:California Lines:37 Added:12/30/2010

To say I am disappointed in the Yucca Valley Town Council's vote to allow the so-called "medical marijuana" dispensary to open a new site is an understatement. I voted for certain individuals on the current Town Council because of their heritage of Christian faith. I believed it was going to make a difference with the direction the town was going. I was wrong. If I could take my vote back, I would.

If my so-called brothers in Christ want to check their belief system at the door in such time as these, I will remember next time not to check their names at the ballot box and suggest to all others who name the name of Christ do the same.

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5 US CA: New Sonoma Valley Pot Dispensary Draws ScrutinyTue, 28 Dec 2010
Source:Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA) Author:Moore, Derek Area:California Lines:173 Added:12/29/2010

Two women who have run afoul of authorities in several Bay Area communities apparently have opened a medical marijuana dispensary in Boyes Hot Springs that is drawing concern for its proximity to homes, a teen center and an elementary school.

Neighbors of Alikchi Wellness said this week that they were unaware that a dispensary had located in a wood-frame building that also houses a stained glass art shop at 17503 Sonoma Highway, at the intersection of Fetters Avenue.

"I had no idea," said Rebecca Hermosillo, who can see the dispensary from her office window at the Valley of the Moon Teen Center, where she serves as director.

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6US CA: Column: Oakland Proceeding With Caution on Pot OrdinanceTue, 28 Dec 2010
Source:San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Author:Johnson, Chip Area:California Lines:Excerpt Added:12/28/2010

It seems that Oakland Mayor-elect Jean Quan and her virtual campaign running mate, at-large Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, didn't want to stand in front of the authorities on this one.

By a 7-1 vote, the Oakland City Council last week suspended its legal marijuana farm ordinance because it's not as legal as it was billed to be.

The council, on the advice of legal counsel and a letter of caution from the Alameda County district attorney's office, temporarily withdrew a plan to allow large indoor pot farms in the city.

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7US CA: Lake Forest Sues to Close Two New Pot ShopsTue, 28 Dec 2010
Source:Orange County Register, The (CA) Author:Ritchie, Erika I. Area:California Lines:Excerpt Added:12/27/2010

LAKE FOREST - The city on Monday filed lawsuits against two pot dispensaries in a strip retail center on Raymond Way, city officials said.

The complaints were filed against Pharmer's Choice Collective and Lake Forest Discount Caregivers, which opened in the last few weeks. The city also filed complaints against Youssef Ibrahim and H&H Investments, owners of the property where the dispensaries are located.

"It's frustrating that some of these dispensaries are reopening," Mayor pro tem Mark Tettemer said. "We will continue to stay the course. They are not allowed in the city. We treat them all the same and that is why these two have been added."

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8US CA: Activists' Legal Battle RagesMon, 27 Dec 2010
Source:Contra Costa Times (CA) Author:Bigham, Will Area:California Lines:Excerpt Added:12/27/2010

Swerdlow, Chabot Now Head to Civil Court

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Did Lanny Swerdlow push Paul Chabot?

That question has already been the subject of a criminal trial, and it's now the issue at the heart of a civil lawsuit between Swerdlow and Chabot.

Chabot, an anti-drug activist and recent candidate for the Assembly, accused Swerdlow of shoving him in October 2007 at a meeting in Rancho Cucamonga of the Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition, which was co-founded by Chabot.

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9 US CA: Editorial: Smoke OutMon, 27 Dec 2010
Source:Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)          Area:California Lines:63 Added:12/27/2010

Tobacco, Marijuana Trend Lines Headed in Opposite Directions

Two recent reports on smoking describe two very different trends.

When it comes to tobacco, a state Health and Human Services Agency survey released last Monday found that more and more California residents are kicking the habit. The rate of decline is more than double the national average, and California's incidence of lung cancer has fallen three times as fast as the national average.

When it comes to teenagers, however, a survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that a decline in cigarette smoking has been eclipsed by an increase in marijuana smoking. The national survey was released Dec. 14.

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10US CA: Oakland Eases Off on Plan to Industrialize MarijuanaMon, 27 Dec 2010
Source:Sacramento Bee (CA) Author:Hecht, Peter Area:California Lines:Excerpt Added:12/27/2010

OAKLAND - Former construction industry executive Jeff Wilcox has a $20 million bet riding on the future of marijuana commercialization in California.

That is what his AgraMed Inc. venture has invested in a warehouse near the Oakland waterfront and a bid to open a "business park for the cannabis industry." He hopes to lease the space to pot growers, bakeries, labs and processing facilities and to create hundreds of well-paying jobs.

But Wilcox is in limbo after Oakland officials last week suspended a plan to issue four licenses for factory-scale production of medical marijuana. Wilcox is only the most pronounced of numerous suitors for the coveted permits who suddenly have cause to worry.

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11 US CA: LTE: Clamp Down On MarijuanaThu, 23 Dec 2010
Source:Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA) Author:Hawkins, Liz Area:California Lines:31 Added:12/26/2010

Thank you Marysville police for closing down the pot dispensary. I was not happy to read that the pot shop was open or the article headlined "Teens choose pot over cigarettes."

Having four children, I don't want them flooded with the wrong message that marijuana is OK because it is legal for "compassionate" use. How compassionate is it when someone who has been prescribed marijuana smokes it, becomes impaired and gets behind the wheel and kills someone? We legalized alcohol and look how many lives that has destroyed.

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12 US CA: Pot May Be Propping Up Mendocino's Rural Land ValuesSat, 25 Dec 2010
Source:Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA) Author:Anderson, Glenda Area:California Lines:78 Added:12/26/2010

Land prices in Mendocino County's rural northeastern region have weathered the recession better than other areas, the result many believe that has more than a little to do with marijuana production.

"Of course, i"s a factor," said county Supervisor John Pinches, whose district includes the area.

Overall, the value of Mendocino County real estate has declined by 1.4 pecent, or $140 million, in the last year, said county Assessor-Clerk-Recorder Sue Ranochak. That translates to a property tax loss of $1.4 million. The county's share of the loss is about $420,000, she said.

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13 US CA: California: Many Marijuana Dispensaries ReopenSat, 25 Dec 2010
Source:New York Times (NY)          Area:California Lines:24 Added:12/25/2010

Months after Los Angeles ran a majority of medical marijuana dispensaries out of town by passing strict regulations, the shops are cropping up again. A judge this month scratched key portions of the ordinance that city officials spent years putting together and noted that a large number of collectives could reopen. David Welch, the lawyer who represents some of the shuttered clinics that sued the city, says nearly 60 have decided to open in recent months. About 180 collectives applied to remain open after hundreds were forced to close, but only about 40 met all the ordinance's criteria. which include being at least 1,000 feet from schools, parks and other gathering sites.

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14 US CA: Deputies Involved In Second Pot Grow Killing ClearedWed, 22 Dec 2010
Source:Willits News (CA) Author:Williams, Linda Area:California Lines:56 Added:12/25/2010

Outgoing Mendocino County District Attorney Meredith Lintott has ruled the August 18 shooting of Mariano Lopez-Fernandez, 31, of Boonville, by the Mendocino County SWAT Team was justified.

The district attorney's office conducted an on-scene investigation following the shooting, interviewing witnesses and gathering forensic evidence.

The district attorney concluded Lopez-Fernandez died after he "took a position of cover behind a large group of trees and pointed a loaded semi-automatic rifle at the SWAT team. The three deputies on the SWAT team fired at Lopez-Fernandez from a distance of 10 to 15 feet" with their rifles. Lopez-Fernandez was struck several times, and although deputies stopped shooting once he dropped his weapon and "immediately rendered first aid," he was pronounced dead at the scene.

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15 US CA: Oakland Puts Plan for Pot Farms on HoldFri, 24 Dec 2010
Source:Los Angeles Times (CA) Author:Romney, Lee Area:California Lines:104 Added:12/25/2010

Council Suspends Its Proposal for Four Large Operations After D.A.'S Warning on Liability.

California's most cannabis-friendly city has temporarily suspended a plan to permit and tax four large marijuana-growing facilities because of ongoing legal concerns.

The Oakland City Council voted 7 to 1 this week to send the measure back to legal staff for reworking after the city received a letter from the Alameda County district attorney. The letter suggested not only that the city's plan may violate the law, but also that elected officials could be legally liable.

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16US CA: Oakland Suspends Legal Marijuana Farm OrdinanceThu, 23 Dec 2010
Source:San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Author:Kuruvila, Matthai Area:California Lines:Excerpt Added:12/24/2010

The Oakland City Council abruptly halted plans to allow some of the world's largest legal marijuana farms to open in the city after prosecutors warned city officials that they could be vulnerable to prosecution.

The council on Tuesday suspended the city's cultivation ordinance, which council members adopted in July to raise new city revenue and rein in the sometimes dangerous black-market farms that are now the norm.

The decision came two weeks after Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley warned that the ordinance was problematic because it conflicted with state law.

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17 US CA: Editorial: It's Really About MoneyThu, 23 Dec 2010
Source:Record, The (Stockton, CA)          Area:California Lines:70 Added:12/23/2010

Medical marijuana debate in Stockton isn't about the drug

Stockton is a latecomer to medical marijuana.

The Bay Area, greater Los Angeles and even Sacramento are packed with medical marijuana dispensaries, while Stockton is just figuring out its policies and guidelines.

But there's no question that the scent wafting through the air is not marijuana smoke but the unmistakable smell of money.

It's unfortunate that The Record had to file a California public records request to pry from city officials the identities of those who applied - and passed a city-concocted test - to run one of the three Stockton medical marijuana outlets allowed under a new ordinance.

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18 US CA: Oakland Suspends Large-Scale Pot-Growing PlanWed, 22 Dec 2010
Source:Wall Street Journal (US) Author:Woo, Stu Area:California Lines:80 Added:12/22/2010

The Oakland, Calif., city council voted to suspend a plan to allow the creation of four large-scale marijuana-growing facilities, in the latest setback for California's burgeoning marijuana movement.

Tuesday night's vote follows warnings from the Obama administration and a local district attorney that the facilities, which would be built and operated as private ventures, could violate federal and state laws.

California law allows marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes. Federal law prohibits any use of pot, though the Obama administration has indicated it will largely allow states to enforce their own medical-marijuana laws.

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19US CA: Appeals Court Lets Pot Dispensary Stay OpenTue, 21 Dec 2010
Source:Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) Author:Robinson, Alicia Area:California Lines:Excerpt Added:12/21/2010

A Riverside medical marijuana collective will be open to serve customers today, after an appeals court on Monday ruled the facility can operate while the city's lawsuit to close it proceeds.

A lower court judge had granted an injunction to close the Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center but stayed the order so the facility's attorney could appeal.

The state Fourth District Court of Appeal continued the stay while it considers the case.

"Everybody's excited that we can continue to facilitate safe access" for medical marijuana patients as allowed by state law, said William Sump, the health and wellness center's general manager.

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20 US CA: Man Can Use Medical Marijuana, Court RulesMon, 20 Dec 2010
Source:Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA) Author:Young, Rob Area:California Lines:61 Added:12/21/2010

A Sutter County judge erred in not allowing a man who'd been convicted of transporting methamphetamine to use medical marijuana, appellate justices ruled.

In a 22-page ruling Friday, the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento said Vernon Emile Smith Jr., 23, of Sacramento, had a right to use the drug with a doctor's prescription under Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act.

Judge Brian Aronson heard Smith's request in July 2009 to modify terms of his probation, according to Sutter County Superior Court records.

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