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. [continues 216 words]
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. [continues 7597 words]
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. [continues 337 words]
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. [continues 52 words]
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. [continues 1152 words]
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. [continues 558 words]
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." [continues 252 words]
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. [continues 649 words]
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. [continues 310 words]
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. [continues 930 words]
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. [continues 79 words]
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. [continues 400 words]
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. [end]
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. [continues 234 words]
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. [continues 675 words]
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. [continues 490 words]
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. [continues 286 words]
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. [continues 467 words]
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. [continues 225 words]
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. [continues 239 words]
The economics behind our government's war on drugs render it self-defeating. Our focus on reducing supply keeps drug prices high for drug lords, increasing their incentive to supply them and kill both competitors and the government officials trying to stand in their way. Thursday's announcement from Mexico that an astounding 30,196 people have been killed in the country's 4-year-old war against the drug cartels should compel us to consider a new approach to the war on drugs. [continues 444 words]
Anti-smoking advocates emboldened by the passage of Sebastopol's smoking ban for multi-unit dwellings are eying a similar ban in Sonoma County's largest city. Santa Rosa, which already restricts smoking in outdoor patios and public places, may soon be asked to take the ban indoors by restricting residents of apartment buildings and other multi-unit complexes from smoking inside their residences. Clean-air advocates met with Councilwoman Susan Gorin, who was then the mayor, several weeks ago about bringing such an ordinance to the city, said Pamela Granger of the American Lung Association. They are in a preliminary stage of the process, meeting with the city's largest apartment owners to gain support. [continues 380 words]
San diego - the manager of a now-defunct medical marijuana dispensary who was convicted of illegally possessing and selling the drug was placed wednesday on probation for three years and ordered to serve six months in county jail. Jovan jackson, 32, who once operated the answerdam alternative care collective in kearny mesa, was given until feb. 1 To report to jail. His attorney asked for the additional time so that jackson could spend the holidays with his family and get his affairs in order. [continues 319 words]
More than 15 people asked the Perris City Council on Tuesday night to reconsider a code enforcement citation that essentially orders Perris' only walk-in marijuana clinic to close. Situated among mom-and-pop markets on Indian Hills Circle, the Relaxed Expressions Collective is a medical pot clinic where patients help cultivate an indoor garden of 40 to 60 marijuana plants, said executive director Ryan Raven. People who spoke from the lectern identified themselves as patients suffering from illnesses ranging from cancer to arthritis to epilepsy. They said the clinic allows them safe access to a substance that relieves chronic pain without severe side effects. [continues 226 words]
Medical marijuana dispensaries and medical cooperatives and the outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana could be illegal soon in Kingsburg. The Kingsburg City Council voted Dec. 1 to begin the process to not allow any of these medical marijuana uses in Kingsburg. The new rule will take effect after the City Council approves the second reading of the ordinance on Dec. 15 and the ordinance is published, said Don Pauley, Kingsburg city manager. The council had previously voted in November and December 2009 approving moratoriums on not allowing the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries and cooperatives in Kingsburg after the city had received inquiries about opening them. Those moratoriums expired Nov. 1 this year. [continues 304 words]
I have never before thought of myself as an exile. All my life I have traveled between Mexico, where I was born, and Los Angeles, my home since I was 6. What do I, whose parents freely chose to leave their country for the United States so many years ago, have in common with Vietnamese, Cubans, Iranians and Iraqis who were forced to flee their homelands, never to return? Fear. The headlines tell the story: "Mexico Under Siege," "Deadly Drug Violence Claims Hundreds of Lives," "U.S. Warns of Danger in Mexico as Violence Increases." Or the one about the 14-year-old who matter-of-factly told authorities he had killed people by chopping off their heads and then added, as if exonerating himself, that at least he "never went and hung the bodies from bridges or anything like that." [continues 830 words]
Twenty-four proposals from applicants vying for a chance to open a medical marijuana distribution or processing facility in Eureka were submitted to city hall by Friday's deadline. A few of the applicants are familiar to medical cannabis patients in Arcata, including The Humboldt Community Cooperative and the Humboldt Patient Resource Center. The Hummingbird Healing Center, previously located just outside of Eureka, also applied for both types of conditional use permits. There are also some out-of-town names applying -- Grandmom Rose's Health Center was proposed by the Ocean City Animal League from New Jersey for cultivation and distribution. [continues 426 words]
Re "Pot smoking makes comeback among teenagers," Dec. 15 In 1996, the year California voters passed Proposition 19, 21.9% of high school seniors reported smoking marijuana in the last 30 days. This year, the figure was 21.4%. If we actually believe the drug czar's claims about the effects on teen marijuana use of passing medical marijuana laws, then the logical conclusion is that such laws have caused a slight decrease in pot use among teenagers. Anders Froehlich San Rafael [end]
The popularity of the social game flies in the face of the site's developer policy. Legalization Nation has a secret. In the wilds of the national forest, we're growing pot. Lots of it. We got Afghan Dream. We got Time Warp. We got rows and rows of White Widow. We started with just a hippie tent and some seeds, but if this keeps up, we're going to need a plane, and maybe a jacuzzi next to the A-frame house. We're talking, of course, about Pot Farm -- a free game playable on Facebook that's less than a year old and is about to pass 1.5 million monthly users. And, judging by industry estimates, it appears that Pot Farm grosses its secretive and likely small team of young developers an estimated $148,000 a month. [continues 847 words]
Re "Probable cause?" (Newslines, by Meredith J. Cooper, Dec. 2): Mr. Campbell [Letters, Dec. 9] was correct in pointing out that it is wrong to shut down an establishment based on a clerical error. The clerical errors, however, were not due to inadequate training. All of our employees always follow strict procedures when it comes to patient verification. No, what we are dealing with here are professional con artists using valid recommendations that were then altered using sophisticated "photo shop" computer programs. These forgeries are nearly impossible to detect, especially when we call the doctor and are told that the patient is legitimate. Liquor-store stings involving underage agents that simply look old is one thing, but this goes way beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior. [continues 143 words]
Shannon Rooney omitted one important fact about the drug offender being forced to write a report on "the nonsensical character" of California's medical-marijuana program. The plain truth is that dozens of medical groups, from the Wisconsin State Medical Society, the National Institutes of Health and the Vermont Medical Society to the San Francisco Medical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the Medical Society of the State of New York, to name a few, recognize the medical value of marijuana. No doubt this judge expects a scathing attack on medical marijuana, but that is a lie. If the judge insists on forcing someone to mouth lies that they do not believe in, he is the biggest hypocrite in Nevada. Ralph Givens Daly City [end]
In today's world, the uneducated person lags behind. Only a very foolish person would do anything that might prevent him or her from receiving a quality education. It has been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that mind-altering drugs affect a person's drive, maturity and, most of all, the ability to learn. If you're young, it makes no sense to use mind-altering chemicals, including weed, tobacco and alcohol. The personality and emotional development of an individual "freezes" at the time they begin using. [continues 125 words]
The medical marijuana community and the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office appear to be not only mending fences but collaborating, as county finances tighten and marijuana continues to inch toward legalization. Sgt. Randy Johnson is in charge of processing applications from growers who want to grow up to 99 marijuana plants, which requires a permit from the Sheriff's Office for an exemption to the county's 25-plant-per-parcel rule under its cultivation ordinance, codified as Chapter 9.31 of the county code. [continues 957 words]
The number of possible medical marijuana collectives in Long Beach continues to shrink. The City Council passed a first reading Tuesday of the medical marijuana ordinance that will eliminate about a dozen more collectives by adding a buffer zone for parks after several different substitutes and amendments were turned away. The council passed the following rules: Collectives will not be allowed to exist within 1,000 feet of parks (in addition to the 1,000-foot restriction to elementary and middle schools, 1,500 feet from high schools and 1,000 feet from other collectives). However, beaches were stricken from the definition of parks for the purposes of this ordinance. [continues 646 words]
The Assertion That Prop. 19 Is Contributing to a Rise in Teenage Marijuana Use Is Unfounded. California, whose initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use drew national headlines this year, is notoriously tolerant of a drug considered an evil weed in some parts of the country. But is our lax attitude creating a school system full of Jeff Spicolis, the iconic California stoner from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"? R. Gil Kerlikowske, the Obama administration's drug czar, suspects that it is. [continues 385 words]
Mountain View could be the first city in Silicon Valley to permit medical marijuana dispensaries, also known as pot clubs. At a public meeting last week, residents supported the idea, offering suggestions and input to city officials. "There are a lot of patients who will benefit from this," said resident Jonathan Steigman. The Mountain View City Council enacted a temporary ban on medical marijuana dispensaries April 8 to allow adequate time to study the issue and seek resident feedback. The council directed staff members in June to gather input on drafting a regulatory ordinance. [continues 285 words]
Lake Elsinore council members Tuesday will consider extending the city's moratorium on businesses that can legally grow, package and distribute marijuana. In December 2009, the council approved a 45-day moratorium on such activities, then extended it for a little more than 10 months. The current ban runs out Dec. 20, according to the city. If approved, the extension sought Tuesday will continue until Dec. 20, 2011 -- but would be the last one the council could authorize, city staff said. [continues 271 words]
The Long Beach City Council will consider tightening its grip on medical marijuana collectives and loosening its grip on bicycles at Tuesday's meeting. After deciding last month to rework Long Beach's new medical marijuana regulations, the City Council on Tuesday will vote on the rewritten ordinance. The updated law would prohibit collectives from operating within 1,000 feet of parks - in addition to already being prohibited in residential areas, near schools, or within 1,000 feet of other collectives. [continues 503 words]
The raid of MediLeaf pot collectives in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Jose Thursday has left local medicinal marijuana supporters and MediLeaf's attorney questioning the motives of Santa Clara County law enforcement in their effort to pursue alleged money laundering and illegal sales of marijuana by MediLeaf. The attorney representing MediLeaf and its founder Goyoko "Batzi" Kuburovich, Jim Roberts, said none of the seven people implicated in Thursday's raid have been charged with any crimes. In fact, Roberts said, Kuburovich wasn't even questioned Thursday despite Roberts calling to arrange a meeting with the County Special Enforcement Team. [continues 1686 words]
Last Thursday the 4th District Court of Appeals overturned a November 19 restraining order that temporarily halted operation of the Holistic Health medical marijuana collective in Dana Point. Although a previous injunction against Holistic Health based on zoning violations was also temporarily stayed, the city had hoped that the court would not intervene this time since this recent injunction was granted on the basis of the city's assertion that the dispensary is not in compliance with California law, including engaging in for-profit sales, said City Attorney Patrick Munoz following the November 19 closure order. [continues 263 words]
Shasta County supervisors will consider extending a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries for another year in the county's unincorporated areas at a public hearing Tuesday. In February 2010, supervisors enacted what became a series of moratoria on dispensaries, saying they wanted to wait for pending state court cases on medical marijuana regulations to settle before any new dispensaries were allowed. The first moratorium, proposed by 2nd District Supervisor Leonard Moty, prevented use permits for dispensaries in unincorporated areas for 45 days. [continues 310 words]
A steady drizzle of rain dampened the atmosphere but spirits remained high in more ways than one at the seventh annual Emerald Cup north of Laytonville. Marijuana aficionados talked shop, smoked marijuana and examined pot-related wares in a narrow canyon along Highway 101. "It's kind of wonderful," Jon Staples, of Petaluma, said, noting the openness of the event, a far cry from the days when growing and smoking marijuana were strictly covert operations. Marijuana has steadily made headway as a mainstream crop since California voters legalized its use as a medicine in 1996. Now, even local government agencies are considering marijuana production as a way to make money. [continues 653 words]
LA County supes snuff out medical marijuana dispensaries in Altadena Medical marijuana supporters decried the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' 4-1 vote Tuesday to outlaw dispensaries in Altadena and other unincorporated areas. A crowd of protesters, some festooned with marijuana leaf-shaped tiaras, gathered outside the meeting as the supervisors voted to repeal a restrictive ordinance that regulated where dispensaries could operate in 2,600 square miles of unincorporated area in favor of an outright ban. So restrictive was the now-repealed 2006 ordinance that not a single dispensary was ever approved. [continues 238 words]
City Officials Race to Fix Legal Flaws Before New Marijuana Dispensaries Can Open. A judge handed Los Angeles a setback in its faltering drive to limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries, granting a preliminary injunction on Friday that bars the city from enforcing key provisions in its controversial six-month-old ordinance. The decision, issued by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mohr, leaves the city with limited power to control pot stores, which opened by the hundreds, angering neighborhood activists when city officials failed to enforce a 2007 moratorium. [continues 724 words]
The raid of MediLeaf pot collectives in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Jose Thursday has left local medicinal marijuana supporters and MediLeaf's attorney questioning the motives of Santa Clara County law enforcement in their effort to pursue alleged money laundering and illegal sales of marijuana by MediLeaf. The attorney representing MediLeaf and its founder Goyoko "Batzi" Kuburovich, Jim Roberts, said none of the seven people implicated in Thursday's raid have been charged with any crimes. In fact, Roberts said, Kuburovich wasn't even questioned Thursday despite Roberts calling to arrange a meeting with the County Special Enforcement Team. [continues 1677 words]
Sara Ambriz of Brawley couldn't enjoy her daily tasks, her children, even her life before she started using medicinal marijuana. The cancer patient went from 10 types of medicines a day that would knock her out to two, she said. It's helped her enjoy things again. She was among the crowd of medical marijuana patients and advocates who pled their case before the El Centro City Council, trying to get one of the last cities which hasn't banned the dispensaries to allow them. [continues 234 words]
Camarena, the man we honor each year with Red Ribbon Week, was working in Mexico, fighting a Mexican drug cartel. The cartel won. A quarter-century later, they're still winning. They're winning because Americans have to have their drugs. And as long as there's a demand, the drug lords will find a way to make a fortune meeting it. It's been 25 years since I became a teacher. I've seen lots of attempts at substance abuse prevention. [continues 478 words]
RED BLUFF -- Attorneys for two Red Bluff men arrested more than a year ago in connection with an indoor marijuana-growing operation plan to challenge a ruling that has the case headed for trial in Tehama County Superior Court, defense lawyer James Silva said Tuesday. Businessman Joe Froome, 48, and 27-year-old Daniel Ludwig, his son-in-law, are charged with cultivating marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. In addition, Froome is charged with eight counts of money laundering. [continues 267 words]
Dangling from a nylon rope 100 feet below a helicopter, Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, was flown several miles to a remote marijuana plantation in Shasta County's forests in August. That's how law officers were flown into the site where, once it was secure, they uprooted marijuana plants worth thousands of dollars apiece, Herger said in a phone interview Thursday from Washington. The north-state congressman went on this airborne "ride-along" to witness efforts to eradicate pot plantations. [continues 357 words]
After almost a year of development, the Shasta Lake City Council this week established regulations for growing medical marijuana. Councilors voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a first reading of the ordinance. Councilwoman Dolores Lucero dissented. A second reading is set for the Dec. 21 council meeting, said Carla L. Thompson, the city's development services director. The ordinance, which has been revised a number of times and has been the focus of several public hearings, has been in the development stage since Jan. 19 when the City Council decided to develop growing regulations, according to staff reports. [continues 526 words]
Inside California
