cannabisnews.com: Lode Town Lays Down Law on Medical Pot





Lode Town Lays Down Law on Medical Pot
Posted by CN Staff on May 29, 2004 at 21:43:44 PT
By Francis P. Garland, Lode Bureau Chief
Source: Stockton Record
Plymouth -- This tiny Amador County city has become the first in the central Mother Lode to adopt rules regulating how medical cannabis dispensaries operate. The City Council on Thursday adopted the ordinance on an urgency basis after area resident Mike Koll applied for a business license to open such a dispensary in this city of about 1,000 people.
"There was a regulatory vacuum," Michael Dean, Plymouth city attorney explained. "We needed to plug that vacuum." Koll could not be reached for comment Friday. If the council had not adopted the regulations, city officials said, dispensaries could have opened in areas too close to homes, schools and certain businesses. The ordinance requires dispensary operators to first obtain use permits. It also limits their locations to land zoned for light industry. The ordinance prohibits a dispensary from operating in any residential zone, within 1,000 feet of any elementary, middle or high school, public library or public park or within 1,000 feet of any business that serves mostly children. No cities in Calaveras or Tuolumne counties have adopted such ordinances, but several cities in the Sacramento area and the foothills east of there have, said Dean. Dean said a number of dispensaries have opened since a new law took effect in January. The law clarified Proposition 215, which legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in certain cases. Plymouth's ordinance-adoption process came together rapidly, but Pat Shackleton, the city's vice mayor, said it had to, given the circumstances. "It was gone into quickly," she said, "but not lightly." Without the ordinance, Shackleton said, Koll or someone else could have opened a dispensary anywhere in a commercially zoned building "and then we'd have a problem." Dean said that according to state law, a dispensary operating in Plymouth could serve only Plymouth residents and one other nonresident. It would be up to the dispensary owner to select the nonresident customer. That should keep Plymouth from "becoming a Mecca for medical-marijuana users," Councilwoman Elida Malick said. Malick said she supports the new regulations limiting where dispensaries can operate. "The city is so small, you can't just let someone have free rein," she said. "The potential for abuse would have been too great." Sheriff Michael Prizmich, whose deputies provide police services for Plymouth, said he was somewhat surprised to see the city move as quickly as it did in adopting the ordinance. Prizmich said city officials asked to discuss the issue with him, but a meeting never transpired. He said he couldn't comment on the substance of the ordinance, because he hadn't yet seen it. "We'll look and see what the components are," he said. "But there are opportunities available to open cannabis clubs and they can be lawful. They can also be illegal." David Jack, an Angels Camp resident and a medical-marijuana user and advocate, said he doesn't like the idea of dispensaries. "They attract a lot of crime and they're abrasive to the community," he said. Jack said small co-op ventures serving five or so people -- several of which he said exist in Calaveras and Amador counties -- seem to work better. "They are healing for everyone," he said of the small co-ops. "A dispensary becomes more of a business." Source: Record, The (CA)Author: Francis P. Garland, Lode Bureau ChiefPublished: Saturday, May 29, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The RecordContact: editor recordnet.comWebsite: http://www.recordnet.com/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Treeanna on May 31, 2004 at 06:37:01 PT
Vancouver and Pot TV
I just got back from a trip to Seattle and Vancouver.We went to see Marc Emery Seeds, New Amsterdam Cafe, and Pot TV (but it was downstairs and we couldnt get in).Marc Emery said that Steve was ok and to just give him a call "on the Sunshine Coast". Didnt have any update on his legal issues.
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Comment #5 posted by ekim on May 30, 2004 at 08:46:28 PT
please go to congressmans office June 4
June 4 Day of Action on Medical Marijuana
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/05_12_04dayofaction.cfmJoin us to stop federal agents from arresting AIDS and cancer patients who use marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering. The Alliance and other drug policy reform groups have chosen Friday, June 4th for a National Day of Action on Medical Marijuana. We need you to distribute brochures outside the district offices of Members of Congress who oppose medical marijuana.The Drug Policy Alliance has been working hard to get medical marijuana legislation passed through Congress. Last year 152 Members of Congress voted to prohibit the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws. This vote was more than expected but still 66 votes short of what we needed to win. We need to persuade Members of Congress who voted no last year to vote yes this year. This is where you come in.Will you join hundreds of volunteers across the country in distributing flyers Friday, June 4? We need to let Members of Congress know that if they vote to send AIDS and cancer patients to jail, we’re going to take the fight to their backyard!
http://www.mmdetroit.org
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 30, 2004 at 08:31:13 PT
JR I Would Like To Know Too
I miss Steve and Michelle on Pot-TV. How are they doing? I haven't watched Pot-TV except a few times since they left. I really connected with them. Is Steve's health holding up?
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on May 30, 2004 at 08:13:38 PT
Big medpot raid in Canada, this truly sucks
I just got this by email from ASA:At around 1pm Thursday the West Shore RCMP executed a warrant at the
Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute (VITCRI), a
medicinal cannabis research and cultivation facility. VITCRI was a
lab-style production and research facility designed to ensure a safe
and standardized source of organic medicine for the 390 members of
the Vancouver Island Compassion Society (www.thevics.com), a
long-standing Victoria non-profit compassion society.
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on May 30, 2004 at 08:03:01 PT
How is his health JR?
I miss seeing Steve and Michelle on Pot TV News.
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Comment #1 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on May 30, 2004 at 07:54:09 PT
CSpan
Steve Kubby is being featured on C-Span right now in a video portion of the Libertarian Party Convention. 
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