cannabisnews.com: Arcata Pot Plan Gains Attention!





Arcata Pot Plan Gains Attention!
Posted by FoM on April 10, 1999 at 19:40:49 PT
Source: San Jose Mercury
ARCATA Tucked between groves of towering redwoods and misty coastal beaches in far Northern California, Arcata, population 16,000, is getting considerable attention for its response to Proposition 215, the 1996 voter initiative that allows people to grow and use marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The city's police chief walked into the house and was escorted upstairs to a bedroom filled with marijuana plants and enough smokable pot to fill a grocery bag.Instead of reaching for his gun or a search warrant, Mel Brown offered a handshake.``I used to leave places like that with plants and prisoners,'' Brown said on the way out of Jason Browne's 25-plant marijuana garden. ``But here, law enforcement is holding out the olive branch to people who smoke medical marijuana.''Brown personally issues photo identification cards bearing his signature to people who register as medicinal marijuana patients, after confirming that they have a doctor's recommendation.100 cards issuedSo far, he has issued about 100 of the ``stay out of jail'' cards, and rejected about 10 people who failed to get the proper recommendations. Officers have been instructed not to arrest pot growers or smokers who carry the identification.Brown said he is not concerned about trouble from Attorney General Janet Reno, who personally reminded state Attorney General Bill Lockyer last month that Proposition 215 runs counter to federal law.``Quite frankly, I don't see Janet Reno coming to Arcata and arresting somebody or having her people arrest somebody,'' he said. As a precaution, however, Brown keeps no record of who applies for an identification and doesn't keep track of those who currently use a card.One of the card holders is Browne, who smokes pot to relieve his back pain and invited the chief to survey his crop. During the visit, the chief listened attentively while the grower spoke of the potency of his next harvest, and sighed sympathetically when Browne shook some stalks and unleashed a swarm of marijuana-munching bugs.``Jason and I were both very cautious when the program first started,'' said Brown, 53. ``I didn't want to be associated with black market drug dealers and he didn't want to be associated with someone who was going to stab him in the back. But time passed and we got over the stereotypes.''Last year, the U.S. Justice Department won a court order to shut down most of the state's cannabis clubs for violating federal laws against marijuana distribution.Lockyer, who is seeking a compromise that will avoid the wrath of federal officials, has formed a task force of law enforcement officers and medicinal marijuana advocates to study the issue.A possible model``What makes Arcata's program work is the fact that law enforcement and the medical community are involved,'' said Nathan Barankin, Lockyer's spokesman. ``The task force has been asked to look at Arcata as a model and perhaps make some recommendations on whether what works for Arcata works for Los Angeles and other larger communities.''It already works for Mendocino County, where the new district attorney, Norman Vroman, plans to announce a similar identification card system next month. ``We thought it was very successful and we intend to plagiarize as much of it as we can,'' Vroman said.
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Comment #1 posted by Byron Josey on June 30, 2001 at 21:21:06 PT
A Fragmented Country
The federal government has shown a minimum of effort to comply with the needs of various factions / segments of this nation. Such a rigid government invites cracks in its structure and even in its foundation. Perhaps soon, this country shall follow the path of various other countries of the world such as the Soviet Union, Canada, Italy, Ireland, and a host of others in their enthusiasm to fragment their country.The greatest turning point in this country's history was the Civil War whose purpose was to prevent the such fragmentation. Being a Southerner, I like to think the North made the wrong choice which resulted in the blockading the ports of the South. Under today's international law, that would amount to a declaration of war by the North on the South. Had they accepted the competition from Europe, a more free market could have resulted, giving all parties a better piece of the pie and fragmentation could have been avoided. but that's another subject.The federal government is so determined that not so much as one old granny take one draw from a marijuana cigarette to relieve her nausia from her chemical therapy for cancer that they would risk that whole section of the country giving them the "digital salute," and begin working on their own "regional constitutions." .....where angels fear to tread.Byron JoseySunnyvale, Ca
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