The state Office of the Attorney General released medical marijuana guidelines Monday in hopes of ensuring that Proposition 215 is not abused, providing law enforcement -- as well has patients and caregivers -- a better understanding of the law. Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office, said the guidelines will protect all parties involved from unnecessary court proceedings. "Law enforcement officials can better protect themselves, and patients can be better protected from unnecessary arrests, searches and detains," Simas said, adding that along with the state's identification card program and other local ordinances, the state guidelines will help clear up ambiguity in the laws. [continues 667 words]
Arcata Newspaper Editor Compiles Book on City History As publisher and editor of The Arcata Eye, Kevin Hoover is used to collecting random bits and pieces of knowledge about the city of Arcata. "Point to any corner and I can probably tell you something about it," he said. Hoover's office, located in the historic Jacoby's Storehouse, is a homage to Arcata's eclectic present and history, something Hoover has documented in his new historical book called "On This Day In Arcata," a compilation of photographs and text taken from the archives of the now defunct The Arcata Union newspaper and Hoover's Eye. [continues 856 words]
The Arcata Planning Commission agreed Tuesday to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries from purchasing pot from any house or apartment grows. The restriction is part of a series of guidelines still being finalized. Co-chair Michael Winkler said the commission has reached its final conclusion of what the guidelines will be and city staff will now clean up the guidelines before returning them to the commission for final approval. "We're really set on where we want to go with this," Winkler said. [continues 401 words]
The Arcata Planning Commission will continue its review of the draft medical marijuana land use standards Tuesday, in hopes of moving it forward to the City Council. Community Development Director Larry Oetker said the commission's approval may bring the guidelines, designed to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in hopes of curbing illegal grow activity, one step closer to completion. According to the agenda, the commission will review codes regarding cultivation and dispensing, as well as zoning for dispensaries. The guidelines will become part of the city's draft land use codes, which are up for approval by the council on Aug. 20, but will most likely not be included until later, Mayor Mark Wheetley said. [continues 100 words]
As the city of Arcata gets ready to finalize its medical marijuana dispensaries guidelines, those involved are cautious about possible state regulations that may be coming down the pipe soon. The California Attorney General's Office is working on creating a set of guidelines for medical marijuana dispensaries, but because it's a work in progress, details are not being released yet, said Deputy Press Secretary Abraham Arredondo. The city has been aware of state regulation rumors and will be taking them into consideration when they are finally released, said Arcata's Community Development Director Larry Oetker. The Planning Commission's final review of the draft guidelines will be at its next meeting on Aug. 12. If approved, the guidelines will go before the City Council for discussion and approval. [continues 373 words]
I am writing on behalf of Humboldt Medical Supply, a medical marijuana dispensary. As a patient for two years, I am familiar with their quality standards. After attending Arcata City Council meetings, I cannot help but take issue with the city's attempts to dissuade them from conducting a legitimate business in a safe, open, and forthright manner after the expenditure of several hundred thousand dollars. HMS has met or exceeded all requirements placed upon them. They operate in a discreet manner. In fact, their ethics is one of the main reasons I chose HMS. [continues 170 words]
The government is seeking the forfeiture of several Southern Humboldt and Mendocino properties which were the subject of federal marijuana raids last week. U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello filed two complaints for forfeiture identifying more than 20 parcels where federal agents reportedly found nearly 80 marijuana gardens and more than 12,000 plants during what they dubbed "Operation Southern Sweep." More than 450 federal agents served 29 search warrants in Humboldt and Mendocino counties last week, targeting what officials called a "large-scale, for profit, commercial business." No criminal charges have been filed to date, according to the FBI. [continues 707 words]
On the one hand it was nice to see federal authorities pay attention to crime here on the North Coast, so much so that they sent a team of hundreds to Humboldt County in order to put the hammer down on what they describe as commercial, for-profit, marijuana growing. It's no secret that Humboldt County's economy -- as the late Supervisor Roger Rodoni often pointed out -- is to some degree dependent on the marijuana culture for its economic viability. [continues 241 words]
A swarm of federal agents arrived in Humboldt County this week to carry out a massive marijuana sting operation, but rumors of their arrival preceded them, and reportedly sparked a bit of panic in some segments of the community. It was the talk of local blogs, left at least one local dispensary answering frantic calls from harried customers and prompted a flurry of activity in some sectors. Several local businesses, which asked not to be singled out by name, described a swift business in moving truck rentals over the last week - -- apparently, in some cases, to move pot grows. [continues 415 words]
Agents Sweep SoHum Commercial Grows Motorcades of government SUVs poured through Humboldt County communities Tuesday as hundreds of federal and state agents began their search for commercial marijuana growing operations in a multi-day investigation the FBI has dubbed "Operation Southern Sweep." The bureau's spokesman Joseph Schadler reported 450 agents with several federal agencies would be serving search warrants and collecting evidence on properties where "corporate marijuana growing operations" were suspected. On Tuesday morning, at the operation's command center in Fortuna's River Lodge parking lot, Schadler said 27 search warrants would be executed over the course of the day, and two more are expected later this week. [continues 704 words]
The gray world of medical marijuana law seems to have just gotten a bit grayer. A California court of appeals ruled last month that the restrictions on the amount of marijuana a patient can possess and cultivate outlined in Senate Bill 420, passed in 2003, are unconstitutional, causing counties across the state to rethink their medical marijuana ordinances. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors voted this week to drop its ordinance that restricted medical marijuana cultivation to 99 plants grown in a 100-square-foot space, after spending weeks actually discussing tightening those restrictions. Humboldt County may soon follow suit. [continues 989 words]
California's medical marijuana patients are one step closer to being protected against work place discrimination after a bill made its way through the state Assembly this week. Assembly Bill 2279, authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno and co-authored by Eureka's Assemblywoman Patty Berg, would make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of their status as a medical marijuana patient or caregiver or for failing a drug test. "Voters have said that marijuana has legitimate medical uses, and this bill says workers shouldn't be punished for having medical needs," Berg said in a statement. [continues 330 words]
The Arcata City Council's moratorium on the establishment of new medical marijuana dispensaries in the city -- pending staff research into zoning law changes not only for the sale of pot, but growing and processing it as well -- is a responsible move. Not only must the council find a way to exert needed local controls amid a complicated California law, Proposition 215, that has so many holes that it allows a virtually unfettered market for marijuana. It also must recognize the dangers to its community. Arcata is on a slippery slope to becoming the doper capital of the North Coast, if it hasn't reached that status already. [continues 175 words]
ARCATA -- City staff is asking the City Council to impose a temporary ban on the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries, citing the need for more time in developing zoning guidelines to regulate them. The ban will be among the discussion at the council's meeting Wednesday where it will also discuss the revision of land use codes, unmet transportation needs and set the dates for budget study sessions. In previous session, concerns were brought by residents about illegal grow houses and the need to regulate marijuana sales in general, according to staff reports. [continues 159 words]
What a joke, and the joke is on us -- the law abiding citizens of the community. To think that we, as a society, would tolerate such an open defiance of the law is intolerable. The whole abuse of the Prop. 215 issue, "medical" marijuana cards, and now this 420 "holiday" has got to stop. They are using the Prop. 215 fiasco to grow pot so they can sell it at a nice profit (tax-free) while you and I work our collective tails off to support them. [continues 82 words]
While many young and old alike in Humboldt County may be partaking today in the annual marijuana celebration of April 20 -- also known as "4/20" -- there is at least one person who won't being joining in. Her name is Pamela Stoner, the only "Stoner" listed in the 707 area code phone book. "I joke around that I come from a long line of Stoners," Stoner said, adding that she gets many raised eyebrows and curious glances when her last name is said out loud in a public place. People often try to get a good look at her to see if she's high. [continues 241 words]
EUREKA -- After hearing a day full of often anguished and angry testimony, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to suspend all but court-ordered Code Enforcement Unit inspections for 45 days pending review of policies and procedures and created a task force to review related actions. The approved task force will include three representatives of the Redway-based Civil Liberties Monitoring Project, or CLMP, a representative from the County Administrator's Office, two supervisors and three at-large members. [continues 619 words]
It struck my attention as soon as I saw the headlines in the Eureka Times-Standard reading: "Drug task force seizes $120K worth of heroin" (March 15). The headlines were my worst fears coming true, for it is the proof of what the global media has been screaming for a while: Heroin is on the way back, and now it is here in our county. One quickly realized it is the Bush policy in Afghanistan coming home to roost, right here in Humboldt County. Not only did we miss our chance to get Bin Laden and stop al-Qaida at its roots. We turned loose another monster on the globe -- heroin. [continues 497 words]
If Eureka Assemblywoman Patty Berg has her way, California employers won't be able to fire employees based on their use of medical marijuana. Assembly Bill 2279, introduced to the assembly last week by Assemblyman Mark Leno and co-authored by Berg, aims to prohibit employers from letting go of employees for using medical marijuana away from the workplace in compliance with state law. The bill is a direct response to a recent California Supreme Court ruling, and is drawing praise from some local attorneys. [continues 651 words]
A California Supreme Court decision Thursday allowing employers to fire workers for using medical marijuana has some local attorneys disappointed and scratching their heads. "To me, it's an absolute travesty that patients who receive doctors' recommendations to use medical cannabis are discriminated against in the workplace," said Greg Allen, a local attorney with experience handling marijuana cases. "I'm pretty appalled at this ruling." The high court upheld a Sacramento telecommunications company's firing of Gary Ross, who flunked a company-ordered drug test but had a medical marijuana card authorizing him to legally use marijuana to treat a back injury sustained while serving in the Air Force. [continues 537 words]
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. [continues 531 words]
I was reading the classified section, and there was an ad that I found very interesting: "215 CAREGIVER seeks patients. Quality, affordable . . . Must have 215." What it should have said is, "Doper wants someone with a 215 card in order to be able grow marijuana legally." This is what is wrong with the 215 law. The law is very clear. Section 11362.5 sub-section (2) (d), Section 11357, relating to the possession of marijuana, and Section 11358, relating to the cultivation of marijuana, shall not apply to a patient, or to a patient's primary caregiver, who possesses or cultivates marijuana for the personal medical purposes of the patient upon the written or oral recommendation or approval of a physician. [continues 136 words]
Over the past 10 months, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department has eradicated a record number of marijuana plants throughout the county. That's nothing new. What is new is where the pot is being grown and who is growing it. Deputy Mark Peterson, who has worked with the Sheriff Department's Drug Enforcement Unit since 2001, said he's been busy this year. "I can count on one hand the amount of grows we came across that were linked to DTOs (drug trafficking organizations) before this year," Peterson said. [continues 352 words]
The Arcata City Council is on the right track by exploring ways it can have a say in the proliferation and the safety of marijuana grows in the city. A task force has been proposed to recommend ways the land-use laws can regulate the location, size and operation of grows. This issue came to the forefront after a fire damaged a rented home, and Arcata's fire chief said that grows are to blame for more than half the city's house fires. That certainly indicates things have gotten out of hand, and the safety of the public should not be left solely to the state's Proposition 215 laws. The recent fire is a perfect example. [continues 343 words]
ARCATA -- The City Council is expected to take the next step Wednesday toward reining in the city's marijuana grow houses under some kind of oversight and regulation. The council took the first steps at its Oct. 3 meeting, when it decided to form a task force to make recommendations on how to use land use standards to control the locations, sizes and operations of the city's grow houses. The grow operations, which are generally under the auspice of Proposition 215, have drawn the ire of the local community in recent weeks, after a grow-gone-awry led to a structure fire causing thousands of dollars of damage to an Arcata home and Arcata Fire Chief John McFarland estimated that grows are to blame for more than half the city's house fires. [continues 661 words]
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Executive Director, Allen St. Pierre, said during a Saturday interview that although legislative efforts on the legalization front have hit the doldrums, the new user-based multi-media advances have opened another door that has kept the organization's purpose moving forward. "Marijuana is almost always in the top 20 search words on Internet," St. Pierre said. He then referred to the NORML podcast, which he said has 22,000 downloads a day. [continues 421 words]
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a hemp farming bill for the second time. The Republican governor announced Thursday that he had turned down a measure by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, that would have authorized a five-year program under which farmers in four counties - -- Imperial, Kings, Mendocino and Yolo -- could grow hemp in plots of up to five acres. Hemp is a distant cousin of marijuana but contains only traces of THC, the drug that gives marijuana its intoxicating effect. [continues 170 words]
LOS ANGELES -- Matthew Robinson, author of "Lies, damn lies and drug war statistics: A critical analysis of claims made by the ONDCP," preached to the choir Saturday, presenting his case that's laid out in his book. Robinson was the featured speaker during the Saturday morning session of the 2007 National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws conference in Los Angeles, where he discussed how the Office of National Drug Control Policy uses questionable data presentation to make it look as though the war on drugs is working. [continues 458 words]
The 2007 National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws conference started Friday with pep talks from some of NORML's top marijuana legalization advocates. NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre thanked the crowd that filtered into a conference room at the Universal City Sheraton Hotel before trying to spark the activist inside everyone in the room. He said marijuana advocates need to stop hiding. "I'm work 70 hours a week at NORML because I'm an adult, I smoke cannabis and I don't want to be a criminal," St. Pierre said. [continues 604 words]
Hundreds of lawyers, marijuana advocates and civil libertarians will be showing up in Universal City this weekend for the 2007 National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws conference. A mix of celebration and serious discussion on marijuana prohibition, the NORML conference is scheduled for today and Saturday at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Some of the more than 50 speakers include best-selling travel author Rick Steves, NORML founder Keith Stroup and "The Guru of Ganga" Ed Rosenthal. Some of the topics planned for discussion are a look at progress in ending marijuana prohibition in various states, a look at what initiatives are planned for upcoming elections and a discussion titled: "Will you still arrest me when I'm 64." [continues 117 words]
George W. Bush is the worst ... OOPS, sorry. Wrong rant. Senior minute. What I really want to respond to is the series of letters and the Times-Standard editorial that have been published since the Supervisor's historic vote on Aug. 21 to send a letter to U.S. Representative Mike Thompson asking for a reappraisal of current laws against cannabis (marijuana) cultivation and use. The 4-0 vote, with Supervisor Smith abstaining, reflects a similar action taken by Mendocino County. [continues 666 words]
There is little doubt that any discussion about cannabis can produce more heat than light. That said, it also appears that the greatest beneficiaries of current attitudes are the law and drug enforcement agencies. They are the ones who gain hugely from marijuana's proscription while the public-at-large loses. All the arguments against the use of marijuana can be applied to tobacco and alcohol: Addictive, detrimental to lung tissue, cerebrally impairing. Notwithstanding these arguments, there appears little evidence that cannabis is more deleterious to the body than either other substance; rather the reverse. Alcohol and tobacco seem to be more addictive, and certainly an excess of alcohol is likely to be more dangerous to a person behind the wheel of a car than marijuana. [continues 135 words]
RIO DELL -- Some see him as a martyr, a patients' rights advocate who became a target of the government's unofficial war on drugs. Others see him as a pusher, a crack dealer and mass murderer -- a doctor who prescribed pain killers to patients who ultimately died. Dr. Frank Fisher, who recently opened a clinic in Rio Dell, has no qualms talking about his past. More than eight years after the 54-year-old's name and face became highly publicized following his arrest and charges of murder, fraud and drug distribution, the Harvard-trained physician has been cleared of all charges and is practicing medicine on the North Coast. [continues 1209 words]
Mike Goldsby, a highly-respected local expert in drug addiction, declared in last week's My Word opinion, "I have nothing good to say about methamphetamines." The estimated 1.4 million users in the U.S. would disagree. Productivity-oriented professionals with demanding careers praise the increased alertness afforded by meth. Timber fallers, mill workers, truck drivers, and others in dangerous occupations extol the stamina it provides. The military has always depended upon meth as a source of courage and quick reaction time. Poor people, trapped in multiple low-paying jobs or the exhausting paperwork demands of public assistance, emphasize its empowering and antidepressant effect. [continues 615 words]
I have nothing good to say about methamphetamines. Working in drug abuse treatment from 1984 to 2002, I met hundreds of individuals and families that had been nearly destroyed by the drug. Speed, crank, crystal, meth -- no matter what you call it, it is a deadly toxin, harmful to minds and bodies, to families and communities. Right now, meth is drawing public attention to the problems caused by drugs. This attention is valuable and it serves to underscore the ongoing problems caused by alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, heroin, and prescription drugs. [continues 737 words]
The war on drugs is a failure, and it is a scourge on our society. Snappy little slogans like "Just say No!" really don't get the job done when kids in junior high school make $500 a week or more selling "dope" to their friends. Captain Murl Harpham of the Eureka Police Department was right when he said, "Eureka is becoming a hellhole," but there are those who wish to shoot the messenger. Unfortunately, Eureka is just another small little town that has been compromised by the drugs, for there are thousands of little towns across this country that have the same problem, and we as a society continue to ignore the problem or lay the blame on other conditions. [continues 713 words]
Meth Deaths on the Rise, 2006 Statistics Show Humboldt County is poised to tie a grim statistic: the record set in 2003 for drug overdose deaths. That year, there were 50 deaths, 18 times the national average of 2.2 per 100,000 population. With a few days left in 2006, there are 46 confirmed drug overdose deaths in the county this year, said Humboldt County Coroner Frank Jager on Wednesday. "But that's not the whole story," he said. Another three or four possible overdoses are still awaiting toxicology screening, he said. So the total could be around 49. [continues 127 words]
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services will begin distributing $29 million in grant funds to combat methamphetamine distribution and sales -- nearly half a million going to Humboldt County. "OES's methamphetamine enforcement programwas so successful and the need so great that Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger increased its funding this year, and we are now able to expand the program to fight this destructive drug," said OES Director Henry Renteria in a press release announcing the grants. "Last year, this program enabled local law enforcement agencies to rescue 152 children, arrest 955 suspects, confiscate 321 weapons, dismantle 46 meth labs and seize more than $6.9 million in drug money and assets." [continues 53 words]
Drug A 'Scourge' In Eureka, Says Coroner A toxicology report conducted in Fresno revealed that the 16-year-old boy shot and killed by police last week had methamphetamine in his system. Christopher Burgess was running from probation officers when Eureka Police Officer Terry Liles joined the pursuit and, after a brief confrontation in a gully off Chester Street, shot the boy twice. Police said Burgess was threatening the officer with a knife. Humboldt County Coroner Frank Jager said Friday that the amount of methamphetamine found in Burgess' system was 0.08 milligrams per liter. The amount before a person feels the effect of the drug is about 0.01 to 0.05 milligrams. A toxic amount is 0.2 milligrams. [continues 250 words]
According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws more people were arrested nationwide on marijuana charges last year than ever before. In 2005, 786,545 people were arrested on marijuana charges, about 15,000 more than 2004 and more than double than 1990. "These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest minor marijuana offenders," said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre in a September NORML press release. "This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that diverts law enforcement personnel away from focussing on serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism." [continues 95 words]
But Whole-Community Effort Still Needed, Says Task Force EUREKA -- Dealing with the methamphetamine problem in Humboldt County will take the whole community, county officials told the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. But one good sign is that meth use here seems to have leveled off. Craig Hill, senior program manager for the Department of Health and Human Services' Mental Health Dual Recovery Programs, also told supervisors that the number of people seeking treatment has gone up, which may mean that more people are seeking help. [continues 329 words]
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a bill to legalize the growing of industrial hemp as a valuable -- and non-intoxicating -- cash crop is a perfect example of federal control run amok . . . as if we didn't have plenty examples of that in California already. The legalization of hemp makes sense for a lot of reasons, both economically and environmentally. It grows in all kinds of conditions; serves as a rotational crop, refreshing soil nutrients; and requires no pesticides or herbicides. [continues 228 words]
Since medical marijuana was passed by California voters over a decade ago, David Kasakove has been at the forefront of efforts to regulate and organize medicinal cannabis dispensaries. "I've been through a battle with a DA who didn't like me," Kasakove said. "I've beaten federal and state charges." Kasakove, who lives in Eureka, is beginning a process that may end with a medical marijuana dispensary in Eureka. He first became involved with medical marijuana as the owner of a hemp store in Chico, which he opened in 1995. [continues 423 words]
EUREKA -- A Zoe Barnum student was released from Juvenile Hall to home custody Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted a teacher last month over a marijuana necklace. Deputy Humboldt County District Attorney Stacey Eads wrote in an e-mail that the boy, whose name has not been released, has been charged with felony battery on a school teacher causing injury and assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury with an enhancement of causing great bodily injury to the victim. [continues 184 words]
Marijuana is still illegal in the eyes of the United States government, but that hasn't deterred the efforts of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Allen St. Pierre, the executive director of NORML, discussed the changes that have happened in the efforts to change marijuana laws. "In the year since we have spoken last the city of Denver has passed an initiative that has made the penalty for an ounce of marijuana zero dollars," St. Pierre said. "And in doing so it has now sparked off a statewide initiative and that is an initiative that we support strongly." [continues 366 words]
SAN FRANCISCO -- Actor and comedian Tommy Chong entertained more than 500 National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws conference-goers Friday. "If more people were stoned there would be less violence in the world," Chong said. Chong was introduced by NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. "It was Tom Chong the man that was wrongly sentenced to nine months in jail when everyone else paid a fine," St. Pierre said. "I'm so proud and happy that Tommy is joining us today." [continues 605 words]
EUREKA -- A new bill to legalize industrial hemp passed the state Assembly this week, and some believe it could provide Humboldt County with significant economic benefit. Assembly Bill 1147 would make legal the growing of hemp, a material that can be used to make everything from fabric and rope to soap and jewelry. It still has to get by the state Senate and gain the signature of the governor, but even then farmers can't just start growing the marijuana cousin. [continues 411 words]
My Word Humboldt State University President Rollin Richmond's recent marijuana speech before the Arcata City Council prompted me to submit this opinion, which I first expressed in the November 2000 Humboldt-Del Norte Medical Society Bulletin. Marijuana is not a medicine. Marijuana is a recreational drug used by many people to get high. Alcohol is also a recreational drug; no better and no worse than marijuana in its good or bad effects. But alcohol is legal to produce, possess and consume. Alcohol is not a medicine. [continues 319 words]
It's been two years to the day that Chris Giauque has been missing, but his brother hasn't stopped searching for answers. Clint Giauque, of Arcata, sent out more than 2,000 letters to the community of Redway, law enforcement, lawyers and private investigators. The letters include his own personal timeline and theories about his brother's disappearance. Clint Giauque is also behind the $50,000 reward for the return of his brother. ”We're not expecting to find a living person,” Clint Giauque said. “The $50,000 are for his remains.” [continues 162 words]
SACRAMENTO -- California Health Director Sandra Shewry announced Monday that the state has resumed its Medical Marijuana ID Card program. After receiving legal advice from the California attorney general that operating the pilot program would not aid and abet marijuana users in committing a federal crime, Shewry directed staff of the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) to resume operations that were suspended on July 8. "The state attorney general has reviewed this concern and said that California can issue ID cards to medical marijuana users without state employees facing prosecution for assisting in the commission of a federal crime," Shewry said. "Today (Monday) the state resumed operating the Medical Marijuana ID Card program." [continues 337 words]
