G
Guest
For all you readers of High Times Magazine, who have been brainwashed into thinking that NorCal is Ganja Heaven... Easy as Pie. Unfortunately, not.
Note the below article....
This is REAL. And a potential REAL BUMMER, as a precedent.
=====================================================
Council members split over taking sides on Measure B
Article Last Updated: 04/03/2008 08:06:48 AM PDT
On March 24, Fort Bragg City Council was the first city government in Mendocino County to go on record supporting Measure B. The marijuana measure, designed to repeal Measure G, the "Personal Use of Marijuana Initiative," was approved by the Board of Supervisors in January to be put on the June ballot.
Police Chief Mark Puthuff opened the presentation by stating the Public Safety Committee had discussed Measure B and had "immense dialog in support" of it. They brought the matter before the council for them to consider adding their support.
Chief Puthuff said he was concerned about the perception that "Mendocino County has become a haven for commercial pot growers." As a result, he listed a litany of problems, including environmental contamination, chemical exposures, costly cleanup, property crimes and home invasions.
Later, he answered Councilwoman Meg Courtney's question, "What does Measure B mean to the chief?"
"It's a step in the right direction for [law] enforcement to take on [marijuana] issues in our own community," Puthuff said. "A lot of grows we're seeing are in the 8,000 number."
Overall, public input was similar, if not identical, to what Fourth District Supervisor Kendall Smith and Fifth District David Colfax have heard repeatedly from inland residents. The stage and the players were different, but the script read the same.
Fort Bragg residents who attended described some of the unintended out-of-control consequences of their vote for Measure G — smelly and clearly visible pot gardens adjacent to their back yards, vicious dog encounters, the potential of young children being exposed to dangerous situations, teenagers employed by growers paying more money than they can make with reputable jobs, transient activities and living in fear of something worse.
Several people voiced the opinion that Measure B, which reduces the number of allowable plants from 25 down to six (the same as the state), would encourage more indoor grows, drive pot prices up, make it more profitable and would not deter commercial growing.
Paula Deeter, co-owner of Fort Bragg's Herban Legend, the remaining medical marijuana dispensary in the county, and candidate for Fourth District supervisor, was one of them. She requested the city remain neutral on the issue.
Measure G was the first voter-approved effort to decriminalize marijuana for medical and personal recreational use and cultivation anywhere in the U.S. It passed with a 58-42 percent margin by voters in November 2000.
The belief by Measure B supporters is that it would begin a reversal of a trend since 2000 towards large production gardens on private lands and increasing public safety problems.
The Board of Supervisors' decision (Fifth District Supervisor David Colfax dissented) to place a repeal Measure G option on the ballot will allow citizens to revisit their feelings about the expansiveness of the original initiative.
For the Dec. 11, 2007 Board of Supervisors meeting, City of Willits Mayor Holly Madrigal wrote, "The Willits City Council supports placing this repeal measure before the voters on the June ballot," to limit marijuana cultivation. Ukiah City Council member Benj Thomas read a letter of support for the repeal initiative from Mayor Douglas Crane.
Fast forward to the Fort Bragg City Council March 24 meeting when representatives from both Ukiah and Willits city councils reported during the public comment period that neither of their cities had yet to vote either way, but they were "personally" lobbying Fort Bragg to go on record in support. A verbal list of elected officials who are personally supporting Measure B was given, but they have not formally endorsed it as governmental bodies.
When the discussion returned to the council table, it was Councilman Jere Melo who advanced the vote with a motion to support that was seconded by Vice Mayor Dave Turner. Mayor Doug Hammerstrom was the sole "no" vote.
Melo explained his position.
"We really have a mess in this county. I'm willing to stand up and say we need to turn this around. We have to stand up for law enforcement," Melo said. "We have a serious public safety enforcement problem we need to address. This is the way at this time."
Turner said, "It [Measure G] was a good idea, almost. It didn't work out. It's time to call an end to that experiment."
Mayor Hammerstrom felt there were many reasonable arguments on both sides, but that individual speakers were addressing problems Measure B will not solve.
"It doesn't seem like our role. I don't feel comfortable being the referee. It's for the people to decide; not for councils to say how to vote," Hammerstrom said.
Courtney said she is very concerned about the public nuisance and environmental disaster.
"I don't understand why it's not legal," Courtney said. "The public should decide."
Councilman Dan Gjerde said, "We're hearing [about] some real problems in our neighborhood tonight. If Measure G loopholes limit the ability of the district attorney and police department to deal with it, I do want to repeal G. The cities need more flexibility in dealing with it in urban areas."
Note the below article....
This is REAL. And a potential REAL BUMMER, as a precedent.
=====================================================
Council members split over taking sides on Measure B
Article Last Updated: 04/03/2008 08:06:48 AM PDT
On March 24, Fort Bragg City Council was the first city government in Mendocino County to go on record supporting Measure B. The marijuana measure, designed to repeal Measure G, the "Personal Use of Marijuana Initiative," was approved by the Board of Supervisors in January to be put on the June ballot.
Police Chief Mark Puthuff opened the presentation by stating the Public Safety Committee had discussed Measure B and had "immense dialog in support" of it. They brought the matter before the council for them to consider adding their support.
Chief Puthuff said he was concerned about the perception that "Mendocino County has become a haven for commercial pot growers." As a result, he listed a litany of problems, including environmental contamination, chemical exposures, costly cleanup, property crimes and home invasions.
Later, he answered Councilwoman Meg Courtney's question, "What does Measure B mean to the chief?"
"It's a step in the right direction for [law] enforcement to take on [marijuana] issues in our own community," Puthuff said. "A lot of grows we're seeing are in the 8,000 number."
Overall, public input was similar, if not identical, to what Fourth District Supervisor Kendall Smith and Fifth District David Colfax have heard repeatedly from inland residents. The stage and the players were different, but the script read the same.
Fort Bragg residents who attended described some of the unintended out-of-control consequences of their vote for Measure G — smelly and clearly visible pot gardens adjacent to their back yards, vicious dog encounters, the potential of young children being exposed to dangerous situations, teenagers employed by growers paying more money than they can make with reputable jobs, transient activities and living in fear of something worse.
Several people voiced the opinion that Measure B, which reduces the number of allowable plants from 25 down to six (the same as the state), would encourage more indoor grows, drive pot prices up, make it more profitable and would not deter commercial growing.
Paula Deeter, co-owner of Fort Bragg's Herban Legend, the remaining medical marijuana dispensary in the county, and candidate for Fourth District supervisor, was one of them. She requested the city remain neutral on the issue.
Measure G was the first voter-approved effort to decriminalize marijuana for medical and personal recreational use and cultivation anywhere in the U.S. It passed with a 58-42 percent margin by voters in November 2000.
The belief by Measure B supporters is that it would begin a reversal of a trend since 2000 towards large production gardens on private lands and increasing public safety problems.
The Board of Supervisors' decision (Fifth District Supervisor David Colfax dissented) to place a repeal Measure G option on the ballot will allow citizens to revisit their feelings about the expansiveness of the original initiative.
For the Dec. 11, 2007 Board of Supervisors meeting, City of Willits Mayor Holly Madrigal wrote, "The Willits City Council supports placing this repeal measure before the voters on the June ballot," to limit marijuana cultivation. Ukiah City Council member Benj Thomas read a letter of support for the repeal initiative from Mayor Douglas Crane.
Fast forward to the Fort Bragg City Council March 24 meeting when representatives from both Ukiah and Willits city councils reported during the public comment period that neither of their cities had yet to vote either way, but they were "personally" lobbying Fort Bragg to go on record in support. A verbal list of elected officials who are personally supporting Measure B was given, but they have not formally endorsed it as governmental bodies.
When the discussion returned to the council table, it was Councilman Jere Melo who advanced the vote with a motion to support that was seconded by Vice Mayor Dave Turner. Mayor Doug Hammerstrom was the sole "no" vote.
Melo explained his position.
"We really have a mess in this county. I'm willing to stand up and say we need to turn this around. We have to stand up for law enforcement," Melo said. "We have a serious public safety enforcement problem we need to address. This is the way at this time."
Turner said, "It [Measure G] was a good idea, almost. It didn't work out. It's time to call an end to that experiment."
Mayor Hammerstrom felt there were many reasonable arguments on both sides, but that individual speakers were addressing problems Measure B will not solve.
"It doesn't seem like our role. I don't feel comfortable being the referee. It's for the people to decide; not for councils to say how to vote," Hammerstrom said.
Courtney said she is very concerned about the public nuisance and environmental disaster.
"I don't understand why it's not legal," Courtney said. "The public should decide."
Councilman Dan Gjerde said, "We're hearing [about] some real problems in our neighborhood tonight. If Measure G loopholes limit the ability of the district attorney and police department to deal with it, I do want to repeal G. The cities need more flexibility in dealing with it in urban areas."
Last edited:
