Butte County Supervisors extend pot dispensary ban
Supervisors extend pot dispensary ban - Oroville Mercury Register
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Supervisors extend pot dispensary ban
By ROGER H. AYLWORTH-Staff Writer
Posted: 02/24/2010 08:12:06 AM PST
OROVILLE â?? A unified Butte County Board of Supervisors told a divided body of medical marijuana supporters that dispensaries will remain on the banned list for up to 22 more months.
In January, the supervisors enacted an "urgency ordinance" creating the original dispensary ban. The stated goal of the moratorium was to give the county time to investigate how other jurisdictions are dealing with dispensaries that are used to distribute medical marijuana.
That measure was scheduled to expire 45 days after it was enacted. However, the same law that allowed the supervisors to take such an action also permitted the panel to extend the moratorium for an additional 22 months beyond the expiration date of the urgency ordinance.
Tuesday, Andy Pickett of the county's administrative office urged the board to extend the ban to allow staff to research potential dispensary permits and to give enough time for a collection of lawsuits working through the legal system around the state to be settled.
The vote came after supporters of marijuana dispensaries offered a divided view on what the supervisors should do.
Individuals who were connected to existing collectives or dispensaries generally praised the supervisors for wanting to craft a carefully researched ordinance on the subject.
Dylan Tellison, executive director of Citizen Collective, said he supported the decision to establish the temporary ban, saying it would "effectively shine a light on cities" to move them ahead
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in creating their own ordinances.
At the same time, he said 22 months seemed too long and he urged the board to act within six months.
If the collective operators generally endorsed some length of a moratorium, the individual users wanted immediate action.
A man who described himself as a Vietnam veteran who survived the siege of Khe Sanh but came home with post traumatic stress disorder, prostate cancer and multiple sclerosis, explained that he gets through life one "joint" at a time. He reminded the board that Proposition 215 was approved by voters 14 years ago.
The man asked the board to "cut through the B.S." and allow dispensaries immediately.
Michael Farrell told the board the county should allow dispensaries and begin taxing the transactions to fund needed services.
"You should figure out a way (to approve dispensaries) without waiting 22 months or six months. The time is now to do this," said Farrell.
Only one person, a man who said he was a Navy veteran of the Korean War, opposed the entire idea of dispensaries.
He said marijuana "destroyed" his son, and the proliferation of dispensaries would lead to the deterioration of the county.
Paradise Supervisor Kim Yamaguchi offered a motion to continue the moratorium while county staff collects the information to make a final decision on dispensaries.
Chico Supervisor Jane Dolan seconded the motion and the action was unanimously approved by the rest of the board.
