cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Ordinance Urged Medical Marijuana Ordinance Urged Posted by FoM on March 19, 2001 at 08:28:40 PT By Thomas Schultz, News-Press Staff Writer Source: News-Press Medical marijuana advocates plan a return to Santa Barbara City Hall on Tuesday to urge elected leaders to craft an ordinance enacting Proposition 215, the California law passed in 1996 to legalize pot with a doctor's recommendation.The 1 p.m. hearing before the city Ordinance Committee -- City Council members Marty Blum, Gregg Hart and Gil Garcia -- follows the recent eviction of prominent local medical-marijuana distributors from a Carrillo Street office space. The individual who rented the space to the nonprofit Compassionate Cannabis Center grew uneasy about legalities following a front-page newspaper story about the operation, according to center administrators.Now, the organization's leadership has splintered and the group's future is unclear.Founder David Pryor said the breakdown points to a need for local guidelines governing the distribution of medical marijuana. An ordinance, he said, would make it easier for distributors like himself to rise from a murk of secrecy or confusion and succeed under the watchful eye of law enforcement."My friends are dying, and we need to get this ordinance passed," said Pryor, who plans to continue helping 125 patients through a new nonprofit, called the California Medical Marijuana Cooperative. Medical-marijuana advocates say a city ordinance would protect the dozens of patients across the county known to use and often grow the substance for health reasons.Westside activist Bruce Rittenhouse, a likely mayoral candidate, said he proposed an ordinance last summer. Rittenhouse said Friday that he prefers the city take quick action to protect medical-marijuana users from arrest, and if necessary worry about figuring out proper distribution schemes later."My argument is we should move ahead," Rittenhouse said. "It will stop the criminalizing of individuals who are abiding by state law."Whether an ordinance is drafted in Santa Barbara, however, remains to be seen.Since September, city officials have studied strategies used by other communities, particularly Mendocino and Sonoma counties.Each jurisdiction established guidelines late last year for law enforcement authorities to follow when dealing with authorized medical-marijuana users. Residents can obtain papers to prove their right to the drug.But if officials do decide to take similar action in Santa Barbara, it appears that the plan would not unfold before a U.S. Supreme Court decision on a case out of Oakland.The legality of Oakland's city-supported "Medical Cannabis Distribution Program" is in question, and Santa Barbara city attorneys have said that the decision in that case could impact the direction of a similar program here."It's kind of a wait-and-see," City Attorney Dan Wallace said Friday.Further, Wallace said he and other city staff members believe state officials, not local leaders, should ultimately implement California's medical-marijuana law.Medical-marijuana supporters say the ingestion or smoking of the leafy green plant helps cancer and AIDS patients to ward off nausea or induce an appetite. They say the drug can combat anorexia, relieve chronic pain and control spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, headaches and other ailments.Government: Advocates say city guidelines are needed to assure the legality of helping patients. Source: Santa Barbara News-Press (CA)Author: Thomas Schultz, News-Press Staff WriterPublished: March 19, 2001Copyright: 2001 Santa Barbara News-PressAddress: P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara, CA 93102Contact: editorial newspress.comWebsite: http://www.newspress.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: