County extends pot shop ban

The Tehama County Board of Supervisors has extended its 45-day interim ban on marijuana dispensaries another 10-months, 15-days

The decision to extend the 45-day moratorium passed on Sept. 15 was made Tuesday on a 4-1 vote. Supervisor Charles Willard opposed the extension.

The extension was approved in part because county staff and the board have been unable to prepare an ordinance regulating pot shops as they wait on court decisions concerning the subject in other areas of the state.

“I am in the process of preparing a list of discussion points to present to the board during a study session. The list will provide options which the board can study, discuss and decide on. With your direction county staff can then create a draft ordinance,” Arthur Wylene, assistant county counsel, told the board.

The supervisorsset the study session for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 24. This will be a public meeting, but Board Chairman George

Russell said limited comment will be accepted from the audience.

Wylene said in the meantime, he will be closely following court cases in which groups, individuals and organizations have sued cities and counties that have banned or regulated medicinal marijuana dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives.

The county’s ban does not include the legal use or cultivation of medicinal marijuana.

According to Wylene, the county’s ordinance could range from no regulations on pot shops to banning them completely.

“If the board decides not to ban them, it will have to decide where to put them,” he said.

Willard said he opposed the extension because he feels that 10 months is too long and fears the county will procrastinate finalizing the ordinance until the last moment.

“I think three months is long enough,” he said.

Supervisor Bob Williams said he wants the extension to make sure the board and staff does a proper job in producing the ordinance.
County resident Donna Will, a medicinal marijuana user and advocate, said the need for safe access to medicinal marijuana in the county is great.

“There are 800 patients using the collective in Corning (Tehama Herbal Collective) and 200 in the collective in the county (Red Bluff Patient Collective),” she said. “I can grow my own, but not everyone can, so they have to have a place where they can purchase it.”

She claims there are already four pot shops in the county - one in Corning, two in Red Bluff, and one in the county.

“You have to get over this snob attitude that you are too good for marijuana,” Will said.

Dawn Jenkins, of Red Bluff Patient Collective, said there are two sides to everything and asked to board to include people from proponents’ side in the study session.

There were also a few who spoke out against pot shops and use of medicinal marijuana.

“They claim marijuana is medicinal. I have to get my medicine through a pharmacy, why shouldn’t they?” Tom McVay said.

Jackson Williams voiced the same argument.

“If marijuana is such a wonderful drug, why isn’t it in the pharmacy just like all the other drugs?” Williams asked.

Russell said during the next few months he plans on finding out just what nonprofit means in relation to marijuana dispensaries.

He complained that the state writes legislation and then leaves it to the courts to interpret that legislation.

“Part of the problem with this (marijuana dispensaries) is that different courts are making different decisions, yet nothing has changed. I am not hesitating on making a decision, but I want to know what we are dealing with first.”