Oroville - A local group is seeking a vote on recent changes to Butte County's medical marijuana cultivation rules and right to farm ordinance. The Inland Cannabis Farmers Association submitted about twice as many signatures as needed to challenge the Board of Supervisors' Jan. 26 votes on the ordinances. As a result of the petition, the ordinance changes will not go into effect as scheduled today until the matter is resolved. County public information officer Casey Hatcher said the old rules remain in place and will be enforced. [continues 759 words]
Time is too short to waste it spinning your wheels, especially in local government where every exercise costs staff time and money. The city of Chico avoided one unnecessary fire drill Tuesday and wisely chose to take a wait-and-see attitude on a second one, all related to the always-confusing topic of marijuana regulation. The City Council appeared to take a cue from the marijuana users. Relax. Mellow out. Chill. That was the right choice. Cities and counties have been scrambling since October, when the state government came up with one of those brilliant "solutions" that makes everything more complicated. Assembly Bill 21, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, said that if cities and counties do not have rules about medical marijuana cultivation, dispensaries and delivery services in place by March 1, state laws would apply. [continues 313 words]
I'd like to add a thought to Garry Cooper's expression of dismay at the lack of respect law enforcement and our supervisors seem to have for our U.S. Constitution. The dollar amount of the fines imposed by this draconian regulatory policy are reminiscent of the fines imposed in Ferguson Missouri. Five hundred dollars per day, with $1,000 per day for second "offenses"? It appears Butte County is doing its repressive best to finance itself on the backs of citizens it is prejudiced against. - - Chris Yates, Cohasset [end]
Chico - In light of recent state medical marijuana legislation, the Chico City Council will discuss a policy for regulating medical marijuana deliveries and dispensaries Tuesday. The ordinance presented clearly prohibits deliveries and dispensaries, whether fixed or mobile. Any operations in violation would be declared a public nuisance and be subject to administrative fines and penalties, if the ordinance passes. The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown October 2015, stipulates that cities that do not expressly prohibit the delivery of medical marijuana in their jurisdiction by March 1 will have to accept deliveries from state-licensed dispensaries. [continues 316 words]
Oroville - A former Yuba County sheriff's deputy has been bound over for trial in a Butte County weapons case. Butte County Superior Court Judge James Reilley on Wednesday ruled that there was probable cause to hold defendant Christopher Mark Heath, 37, of Oroville, for trial on a single felony count of possession of an assault weapon. Heath's wife and co-defendant in the case, Tatum Heath, 35, also was held to answer on a single count of possession of an assault weapon. Judge Reilley reduced her charge to a misdemeanor. [continues 366 words]
My last letter about the constitutional abuses in the enforcement of Measure A were not about marijuana, as some of the comments by readers implied. It was about the Constitution. You all need to realize that this private police force created by our county, which caused the invasion of thousands of homes with no warrant, is very likely the most wide-scale and intrusive violation of the civil rights granted to us by the Constitution in the entire nation and in all of our lifetimes. Marijuana, guns, tax records or any other reason is never cause or justification for such an intrusion into the private property of citizens without the proper warrant, no matter what your personal stance on such matters are. Next might be your home and your beliefs. [continues 131 words]
Beginning as early as 2013, the law enforcement industry developed a plan to address medicinal marijuana grows using land use policy, a seemingly innocent and practical approach. What was actually planned and then orchestrated by that community, in collusion with the Butte County Board of Supervisors along with the various county department heads, was an illegal and unconstitutional scheme to form a semi-secret police force disguised as "building code enforcement officers," none of which had any building inspection training and all of which had a law enforcement background. In fact, every one of these building officials were from a law enforcement background. [continues 159 words]
Does this make sense to you? You don't keep drugs away from kids, you keep kids away from drugs. Drugs are here to stay and only when we accept this premise can we begin to address the epidemic plaguing our society. About 55 percent of our prison inmates are in for drug offenses and when combined with the related burglary, theft, murder, and other crimes related to drug use, this number could be as high as 80 percent. We can make huge changes to our youth and our society by developing and implementing programs after school and on weekends that draw our youth to them by fitting the interest of nearly every one of them. Guitar lessons, art, wood carving, dog training, every sport, free movies and everything you can imagine to attract our youth. By drawing them to these activities, we remove them from "hanging out" and doing nothing with others. We implement year-round school. [continues 106 words]
Oroville - The Butte County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved changes to the county's medical marijuana cultivation ordinance Tuesday. In introducing the changes, Chief Administrative Officer Paul Hahn said they were based on what staff learned in the first full year of enforcing the ordinance approved by voters in 2014 as Measure A. "We're not making what I believe to be major substantive changes," Hahn said. However, some of the 27 members of the public who addressed the board during the passionate, yet civil, 3-hour, 10-minute discussion suggested that more dramatic changes would be appropriate in light of new state laws. [continues 1295 words]
A law without an enforced penalty doesn't have much teeth. That's a problem Butte County must rectify when it comes to its rules on growing medical marijuana. The Board of Supervisors today can fine-tune the county's medical marijuana growing ordinance. The laws were passed overwhelmingly in 2014 and implemented last year. Citizens voted to limit the size of pot gardens that people could grow. The larger the lot, the more space a landowner could use, but the total was greatly reduced on all lot sizes. [continues 327 words]
Oroville - Following the first year of enforcing the size of medical marijuana grows, the Butte County Board of Supervisors will consider making changes Tuesday. At 1 p.m., the board will hear a review of last year's enforcement, whose costs were 57 percent of the budgeted $658,346, according to a staff report. The county's expenses were further reduced by $171,175 in collected fines. However, an additional $2.76 million in uncollected fines may not be paid. Supervisors will consider amendments to the county's medical marijuana cultivation ordinance, approved by voters in 2014 as Measure A. The ordinance sets growing dimensions based on lot size, ranging from 50 square feet for lots between a half-acre to 5 acres to 150 square feet for properties larger than 10 acres. According to a summary, the changes are intended to clarify and streamline enforcement rules. [continues 555 words]
The Yuba County drug agent arrested last month in Pennsylvania, allegedly with almost 250 pounds of marijuana, was arrested Thursday morning by Butte County deputies on weapons charges. Christopher Mark Heath, a Yuba County Sheriff's Office deputy assigned to the Yuba-Sutter Narcotics Task Force (NET-5), was arrested after search warrants were served at five locations in Butte County. Warrants were served by the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force at Heath's residence and those of his co-defendants in Pennsylvania, Tyler Long and Ryan Falsone. A Bangor winery operated by Heath and his wife, Tatum Heath, was also raided, as was the residence of Ramona Long. [continues 226 words]
Five Republican presidential contenders this week addressed a New Hampshire forum concerned with a crisis swamping certain regions of the country, including New England: heroin addiction. The candidates spoke passionately, some sharing personal experiences. Jeb Bush spoke of his family's turmoil as his daughter Noelle, now 38 and in recovery, struggled with an addiction to prescription drugs and cocaine. "What I learned was that the pain that you feel when you have a loved one who has addiction challenges and kind of spirals out of control is something that is shared with a whole lot of people," he said. [continues 571 words]
The war continues. The use of drugs and alcohol are prevalent to all and have been an issue worldwide and in Chico for decades. Movements to cure the consumption of drugs and alcohol have been started, however it is near impossible to control all of humanity. On Sept. 14, 1986, Ronald and Nancy Reagan made a speech that caught the attention of many. The "Just Say No" campaign was to open the eyes of all to the battle in society that is constantly hindering our progress and successes. [continues 161 words]
Paradise - After about two hours of public testimony, a proposed ordinance that would ban medical marijuana cultivation, delivery and distribution in Paradise town limits passed the town planning commission with a 3-2 vote. A crowd of about 50 to 60 showed up to voice their opinion for and against. Most of the speakers were opposed to the ordinance, saying it will criminalize something the state has made legal. Other supporters said they use medical marijuana because it doesn't have the same side effects as pharmaceuticals. Still others argued that prohibition simply opens up a black market and encourages crime. [continues 890 words]
Chicago (AP) - The green-typeface slogan "WE'ED like to be your doctor!" - unmistakably weed-friendly - has attracted hundreds of medical marijuana patients in less than a year to Dr. Bodo Schneider's clinics in southern Illinois and suburban Chicago. In New Jersey, Dr. Anthony Anzalone has a similar following at his three clinics, marketed online with a marijuana leaf logo and a "DrMarijuanaNJ" web address. The two marijuana-friendly doctors in states with similar laws face starkly different treatment by government regulators. When it comes to oversight of boundary-pushing doctors, enforcement practices vary in the 23 states allowing medical cannabis. [continues 731 words]
Oroville - A presentation on California's three new medical marijuana laws sparked a discussion about the future of Butte County's existing policies. While county officials questioned how the laws affected current ordinances regulating marijuana grows based on lot size, many residents asked the county to consider setting a different course. Jessica MacKenzie, director of the Inland Cannabis Farmers Association, said many growers welcomed a state framework that provided oversight for taxation and regulation of the industry. She said they were working on their own proposals ahead of 2018, when many of the new regulations go into effect. [continues 800 words]
Oroville - Following the recent approval of state rules on the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana, the Butte County Board of Supervisors will hear a presentation on the laws' impact on the county. On Tuesday, Paul Smith, senior legislative advocate with the Rural County Representatives of California, and Karen Keene, senior legislative representative from the California State Association of Counties, will discuss the new regulatory framework for medical marijuana. While the state laws establish rules and licensing for cultivating, dispensing and delivering cannabis, county officials have said the law also allows local jurisdictions, including counties, to control or ban the activity. [continues 566 words]
Regarding Sunday's editorial, "Keep refining county's marijuana growing laws": The Enterprise's opinions on marijuana should be administered with several milligrams of salt. Their opinion that cocaine is "illegal, period" is incorrect. Cocaine is not illegal. It is a legal, regulated, schedule II substance. It has medical utility, I believe that I once had it for sinus surgery. It is also kinda fun - but due to our drug war policies, recreational cocaine is soaked in blood. The editorial board states that cannabis regulation is "complicated." It is. Like slavery, prohibition and other disastrous public policies gone before, the road to reform is intentionally complicated. Defenders of the status quo will not acknowledge the need for change, nor will they acknowledge their error. In the face of evidence contrary to their politics, they retreat to confusion. Such it has been since the passage of Proposition 215, decades ago. - - Jay Bergstrom, Forest Ranch [end]
It's been almost two decades since California voters decided marijuana should be legal for people with legitimate medical needs - and after all that time, there's still disagreement about exactly what that means. This much is certain: The laws governing the use of marijuana need constant fine-tuning. It's not as simple as most drugs. For example, cocaine is illegal. Period. Marijuana? Well, it depends. It depends on where you live, how much you have, whether you're part of a co-op, and a hundred other variables. [continues 330 words]
