California, Lake

[budman]

Article Last Updated: 08/04/2006 11:32:46 PM PDT

Proposed pot ordinance wilts Tuesday
From staff reports


Terre Logsdon
Record-Bee staff
The Lake County Record-Bee

LAKEPORT After three scheduled discussions between the the Lake County Board of Supervisors and community members, the board has decided not to implement an ordinance regulating where and how medical marijuana can be grown at least until next growing season.

The main discussion on this issued centered around whether to require that medicinal marijuana be grown indoors only or if raising fences would be adequate to shield the growing plants from public view.

Board Chair Anthony Farrington said at the end of this past Tuesday's discussion that he had recently spoken with the county's director of Health Services, Jim Brown, who said they were considering a medical marijuana card program for the county.

The Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program was designed to provide patients an identification card. That card could be used as evidence that they had received a recommendation from their physician to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, according to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS).

Additionally, CDHS officials say the card can assist law enforcement officials in determining whether an individual using marijuana meets the requirements of the state's Compassionate Use Act, which says that with the recommendation of a physician, a patient may obtain and use marijuana for personal medical purposes.

Farrington asked District 3 Supervisor Gary Lewis who brought the discussion before the board if he had considered the impact to the Code Enforcement Division if an ordinance was enacted.

"I'm not looking to hammer anybody," Lewis explained.

Lewis said he had received some complaints from residents about the marijuana odor and possible criminal activity.

He recommended holding the ordinance over until the Health Services Department brought the ID card program before the board.

"It might be a good idea to have an advisory committee with members from the Health Department and the medical marijuana community to come up with recommendations," District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey said. "Then we can implement an ordinance and have it in effect for the next growing season."

The issue will come back before the board at some time in the future, but at this time, an ordinance is not being drafted or considered.

Contact Terre Logsdon at tlogsdon@record-bee.com

[budman]

DA expects change of venue in double homicide case

By John Lindblom -- Record-Bee staff
Record Bee
August 23, 2006

LAKEPORT -- The case of a Clearlake homicide trial may soon take a new turn, with the defense attorney expected to request a change of venue.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jon Hopkins said this week that he anticipates attorney Stuart Hanlon will seek a change of venue for the trial of his client, Renato Hughes Jr.

The 21-year-old Hughes, a San Franciscan, faces first-degree murder charges in the deaths of two of his companions, who were allegedly killed by the would-be victim in a botched attempt to rob him of marijuana.

Asked if he believed that Hanlon would ultimately file a change-of-venue motion as he has threatened to do since replacing another attorney on the case in February, Hopkins replied, "I've already got a response to it as a part of my motion."

Hanlon, whose offices are in San Francisco, was in Lake County Superior Court on Monday and swiftly departed after Judge Arthur H. Mann set Sept. 11 as the date when Hopkins will divulge long-awaited results of laboratory testing of forensic evidence.

The evidence was taken from the weapons, clothing, fingerprints and blood at the home of Clearlake Park resident Shannon Edmonds. It was there on Dec. 7, 2005, that 22-year-old Christian Foster of San Francisco and 21-year-old Rashad Williams of Pittsburg were fatally shot in their backs.

Edmonds reportedly shot the two men as they ran from his home after they allegedly invaded it with a baseball bat and a shotgun at 3 a.m. and demanded marijuana that Edmonds allegedly keeps for a medical condition.

Hughes escaped unharmed, but faces murder charges under a clause in the law that holds individuals involved in committing a felonious act responsible if the act is likely to evoke a lethal response.

The unusual aspects of the law -- charging someone with murder who did not pull the trigger and the fact that Edmonds is white and Hughes black have resulted in a close watch on the case and protests by some African American rights organizations.

Representatives of those organizations were in court once again on Monday along with members of Hughes' family.

Hanlon previously claimed to have conducted surveys to determine whether racism and adverse pretrial publicity exist at sufficient levels in Lake County to justify a motion to move the trial

Getting on the elevator, he said only, "I'll see you in a couple of weeks." Meaning Sept. 11.

"We have about reached the conclusion of testing at the Department of Justice," Hopkins said. "It sounds to me like they will have their final testing done by then so that we can let Mr. Hanlon know what the results are so that he can determine how long it's going to take to prepare for trial."

Hanlon said he thought the defense might be ready for trial by January. But Hopkins said that he believes that as soon as a trial date is determined Hanlon will enter his change-of-venue motion.

Contact John Lindblom at jlindblom@record-bee.com.

[palmspringsbum]

BOS to consider ID cards for medical marijuana patients

Tiffany Revelle -- Record-Bee Staff
Record Bee
Article Last Updated:11/25/2006 08:41:25 AM PST

LAKE COUNTY -- Those using marijuana for medicinal purposes in Lake County may soon join almost 3,000 of their counterparts statewide who have access to county-issued identification cards to protect their legal rights under the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, and the more recent Senate Bill 420.

The county Board of Supervisors will consider adopting an ordinance implementing the Medical Marijuana ID Card Program and establish dispensation fees.

The Compassionate Use Act was passed in 1996 by 56 percent of California's voters, and protects patients with a recommendation from a medical doctor for any debilitating illness, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Some common ailments for which a doctor may prescribe medical marijuana include arthritis, cachexea, cancer, chronic pain, HIV or AIDS, epilepsy, migraine and multiple sclerosis.

SB 420 took the legislation to the next level, requiring the state health department to establish a voluntary medicinal marijuana patient registry, and to issue identification cards to qualified patients.

A Nov. 16 Supreme Court ruling by Superior court Justice William R. Nevitt, Jr. rejected a claim by San Diego, San Bernardino and Merced counties that the federal Controlled Substances Act preempted the Compassionate Use Act.

Since Senate Bill 420 became law in January 2004, "there has been a lot of stalling on the State Department of Health side," said Aaron Smith, statewide coordinator for Safe Access Now. The California advocacy group has worked to promote the Medical Marijuana ID Card Program since it recognized the need just over a year ago, said Smith.

The November ruling, said Smith, "further solidifies the strength of California's medical marijuana laws, which are widely supported by the voters."

He and his colleagues at Safe Access Now started the push last year for California's 58 counties to implement the program since the passage of SB 420. "The counties weren't moving forward as fast as we had hoped," Smith said Friday. He noted that Lake County would be the 26th county to adopt the program, bringing the count to just under half.

SB 420 mandates that counties make the ID card program available on a voluntary basis to medical marijuana patients, which may serve to lessen "unnecessary detainment, arrest or seizure of medicine from qualified medical marijuana patients," said Smith.

Smith called the program a "win-win for the patient community as well as the law enforcement community," noting that it would bring the county into compliance with state law, create less hassle for patients and take less law enforcement personnel time verifying recommendations.

Smith explained that currently patients may be asked to show a doctor's note or a written recommendation in the event that they are stopped by law enforcement. "If somebody were pulled over ... during a holiday or after hours, what happens is the law enforcement officer attempts to verity the legitimacy of the recommendation by calling the doctor's office, and that's very hard to verify. With the ID card on the other hand, the registry program is available 24-7," said Smith.

ID cards issued to the nearly 3,000 California patients include a photo, identification number and expiration date. Including a patient's name and address, noted Smith, would violate medical privacy laws. The cards display a holographic seal with California's state seal in the corner to make them hard to duplicate.

In a recent press release, Smith praised Lake County's Board of Supervisors for "taking up this important issue and (we) are hopeful that Lake County's officials will listen to their constituency and vote to protect local patients."

The board will consider the Lake County Health Department's proposal to issue the cards Tuesday morning at 10:10 a.m. at the courthouse in Lakeport.

<small>Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.</small>

[palmspringsbum]

Medical marijuana cards get OK from supes

Tiffany Revelle -- Record-Bee Staff
Record Bee
Article Last Updated:11/29/2006 06:18:25 AM PST

LAKE COUNTY -- A unanimous vote gave the Medical Marijuana ID Card Program the go-ahead in the county Board of Supervisors' Tuesday meeting at the behest of the county's Health Services Department.

Health Services Director Jim Brown drafted the ordinance, saying, "all of the material (for the ordinance) came directly from the state handbook." Pending a second reading slated for Dec. 12, the ordinance will bring the county into compliance with the recently passed Senate Bill 420.

Lake County is the 26th out of California's 58 counties to make the voluntary identification card program available to medical cannabis patients.

The cards will display the holder's picture and the card's expiration date, along with an identification number that can be verified via an online state-maintained database.

A point of contention was the $70 fee proposed in the ordinance. Upper Lake resident and medical marijuana patient Eddy Lepp criticized the wording of the ordinance for being "way out of the spectrum" Prop. 215's original purpose, citing strict regulations on the identification card program. Lepp said he was in favor, however, "as long as you do it so it doesn't exclude 90 percent of the patients trying to survive on less than $1,000 per month."

Lepp was joined by other patients using medical marijuana, including Nice resident Thomas Wahl, who suggested a $1,200 annual fee be assessed to marijuana dispensaries to help mitigate the cost.

HS Director Brown defended the fee on the grounds that already short staff would need to be pulled off of other projects in order to set up a system for issuing the identification cards. Brown also pointed out that the ordinance's strict regulations requiring a doctor's recommendation to be reviewed by three other doctors would come into play only in cases under appeal.

"Once we've got some data established on the program, then we can revisit the cost and make sure that it's accurate and fair," said HS Director Brown. "We're not trying to make anything on the program, but at the same time we can't afford to lose anything. It's going to take staff time," he said.

Also required of a patient wishing to obtain an identification card are a written recommendation from a licensed physician and proof of county residence, which Brown said would need to be verified.

HS Director Brown said he was contacted by Aaron Smith, a statewide coordinator for Safe Access Now to help push the identification card program through.

Smith said recently that the advocacy group has been working to promote the identification card program since it observed just over a year ago that a majority of California's counties were dragging their feet in complying with SB 420, signed into law in January 2004.

"This is not about whether you support medical marijuana or not," said Chairman Anthony Farrington, adding that voters have already had their say on the subject. "As an arm of the sate, we have a responsibility to uphold the law...we don't get to pick and choose," he said.

The purpose of the ordinance, said HS Director Brown's memo to the board, was to establish fees for issuing the ID cards to qualified patients and to "assist local law enforcement in identifying Lake County residents who are protected under Proposition 215."

Also known as the Compassionate Use Act, Proposition 215 was passed in 1999 by 56 percent of California's voters. The law protects medical cannabis patients who have a recommendation from a licensed physician by removing state-level criminal penalties for possession, use and cultivation of medical marijuana.

The law did not, however, give guidelines for the amount of medical marijuana patients could have in their possession.

SB 420 set a minimum guideline of six mature plants or 12 immature plants, and up to eight ounces of processed cannabis flowers, according to California legislature (HS 11362.77).

HS Director Brown said he is confident that the cards will be available in early January, and said the process of obtaining one could take a patient anywhere from under a week to 30 days, based on state guidelines.

"As much as I don't want Big Brother there with me in the doctor's office or in the pharmacy with me, anything that will keep patients from getting harassed and gets more deputies back out on the street, I begrudgingly support," said Lucerne resident Donna Christopher.

Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.

[palmspringsbum]

OAKLAND GROUP ALLEGES RACISM IN LAKE COUNTY MURDER TRIAL

01/09/07 7:40 PST
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)
Bay City News Wire

The Oakland-based Ella Baker Center for Human Rights filed a civil grand jury complaint today in Lake County, alleging police misconduct in a double murder case that could land a San Francisco man on death row.

Renato Hughes, 22, is accused of killing his two friends on Dec. 7, 2005 even though the gunman, Shannon Edmonds, has admitted to actually shooting the two victims in the back, according to court documents.

Prosecutors claim Hughes is guilty of first-degree murder under the provocative act doctrine, which is meant to hold people responsible for forcing others to commit murder, such as in a hostage or holdup situation.

"It's designed to hold people responsible when their acts in the situation are likely to turn fatal," Lake County District Attorney Jim Hopkins said today.

In this case, Hopkins claims that Hughes and his two friends, Rashad Williams and Christian Foster, broke into Edmonds' home, assaulted people who were sleeping inside and attempted to rob him of 2.7 pounds of medical marijuana.

The men were yelling, "Where's your weed, where's your weed," Hopkins said.

Edmonds, however, pulled a gun on the men and managed to shoot two of them in the back. Police arrived to find the victims dead in the street in front of the house.

Hughes escaped alive, but now in addition to assault, home invasion and robbery charges, he could be convicted for killing his two friends.

Attorneys and members of the Ella Baker center are crying foul, saying that Lake County prosecutors are abusing the rule and that racism is to blame.

"If you were talking about a black drug dealer shooting and killing two young white men, the gunman would be in jail," Ella Baker spokesman Jakada Imani said in a statement. "But when the gunman is white and the youth who are lying dead in the street are black and the prosecution is in Lake County, their black friend is thrown in jail and charged with murder."

According to Hunter Cutting with the Ella Baker center, Williams, Foster and Hughes were just a few of a handful of black men in the Clearlake community at the time and that this radical approach at prosecution wouldn't go forward if the shooter wasn't white.

"So much doesn't seem to fit," Cutting said of the details in the trial. "What does seem to fit is the racial makeup of the characters in this case: a conservative area, white police, a white district attorney and black suspects."

Hopkins, who will argue against a change of venue on Tuesday, denied all charges of racism.

"I'm pretty disappointed that the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights would say that without talking to me -- I've been involved in every aspect of this case," said Hopkins who began as prosecutor in Los Angeles and served with the Santa Cruz County district attorney's office for 20 years.

"I've never seen a case where my actions have been governed by the race of others. I don't deny that there are people everywhere that are racist, but just because two people are of different race doesn't necessarily make it racist. It sounds pretty simplistic," he added.

But the grand jury complaint not only alleges racism, it claims that police botched the investigation and planted evidence.

For one, a gun found near the scene almost five weeks after the incident is now being used as evidence that Hughes was armed in the robbery despite no forensics evidence to support it, Cutter said.

Also, defense attorneys claim that police let the gunman back into his home to plant evidence. The complaint also claims that police failed to chronicle the beginning stages of the investigation.

The center's complaint was filed today and specifically targets police misconduct in the case. The center is also planning on filing a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department.

The Hughes trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 6.

[palmspringsbum]

Marijuana group a blessing

The Lake County Record-Bee
Article Last Updated: 02/09/2007 06:47:12 AM PST

I'd like to commend the compassionate people at Lake Care Group who provide certified patients with high quality organic medical marijuana.

True compassion isn't shown just by talking about your concern for others. It's in the action of doing something about it. Lake Care Group's dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers will even take the time to home deliver.

They're my "green angels" for my medical condition, and I always appreciate their courteous, pleasant visits and they're thoughtful about choosing different strains for what ails me.

Many adults choose medical marijuana because it's natural and works very well as a painkiller and comfort to those suffering from a plethora of illnesses and pain.

The problem is, most of us can't grow our own supply and don't want to go out on the streets looking for it, so it can be difficult to obtain.

There are some fine dispensaries in Lake County, but it's difficult to drive there when you hurt. Most charge street prices and it's stressful to have to stretch out a small supply.

Though some "entrepreneurs" jumped on the medical marijuana bandwagon to grow in Lake County for big bucks and power and wouldn't go out of their way to provide medicine for people in need or dying, it's a blessing to know people with heart who will deliver a care package when I need it most.

We're lucky to have the truly compassionate volunteers of Lake County Group, whose kind hearted actions speak louder than words, for they deliver good medicine at good prices, from Mother Nature to those in pain.

Mrs. C. Antrim

Lakeport

[palmspringsbum]

Supes may pull out of pot card program

By Tiffany Revelle -- Record-Bee staff
Record Bee
Article Last Updated: 02/14/2007 10:25:33 PM PST

LAKEPORT -- Faced with a state mandate that would raise the cost of a medical marijuana ID card by as much as 185 percent, the Lake County Board of Supervisors considered pulling out of the state run program Tuesday.

County Health Services Director Jim Brown said he was notified by the state Department of Health Services of the need for the increase in a Dec. 27 letter, saying it "was a surprise to us."

By lack of action, the BOS did not approve the proposed increases that would have brought the cost of a medical marijuana ID card (MMIC) up to $100 for a MediCal beneficiary and $200 for a non-MediCal beneficiary.

As of March 1, the state will charge the county $142 for a card issued to a non-MediCal beneficiary, up from the current $13, and $71 for a MediCal beneficiary.

The need for the increases was to comply with a Health and Safety Code section of Senate Bill 420, passed by California voters in 2003 and signed into law in January 2004. Lake County became the 26th out of California's 58 counties to make the voluntary identification card program available to medical cannabis patients and comply with SB 420 in November when the BOS adopted an ordinance to set up county administration of the cards.

Dist. 1 Supervisor Ed Robey pointed out that approximately 30 counties are still not in compliance with SB 420, saying it was unfair of the state to hand down the administrative cost of the ID card program to the limited number of participants.

HS Director Brown cited a $1 million loan the state department took out to put in a computer system to manage a data base for the patient ID cards. "I think only about 9,000 cards have been issued statewide, and the state had anticipated about 150,000 cards, so they were anticipating a bigger amount of money coming in," said Brown.

He confirmed Wednesday that four Lake County residents had inquired with the county department about obtaining a medical marijuana identification card.

Dist. 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing pointed out that logic would dictate even further hikes in the future if participation stayed as low.

Robey called the fee hike "counterproductive and not what the leg intended in the first place," and recommended the board not issue the cards and contact state representatives about financial assistance to make the program viable for participants.

"I just don't like the state putting us in the position of being the bad guy for a program that they started, didn't make sure was implemented in a timely fashion, and they don't seem to be able to control it," said Robey.

One possible alternative was the development of a locally issued form of identification for medical cannabis patients that would help local law enforcement identify legal users and avoid unnecessary arrests.

"It's 125 fine to get busted for less of an ounce of marijuana right now," said Finley resident Phil Murphy, who got up three times to speak to the board on the matter. "It's cheaper just to pay the fine than it is to get the card. And it's just a misdemeanor. So you're better off from a standpoint of paperwork and money just to get busted and pay the fine," added Murphy.

He urged the board not to issue the cards, saying the state system was "doomed to fail," and the cost of a card "an insult" to a patient in need of medical marijuana.

The county ordinance currently in place charges $70 per card to cover the county's and state's cost for staff time and software required to support a state-maintained database meant to protect legal marijuana users under Prop. 215.

Also known as the Compassionate Use Act, Prop. 215 was passed in 1999 by 56 percent of California's voters. The law protects medical cannabis patients who have a recommendation from a licensed physician by removing state-level criminal penalties for possession, use and cultivation of medical marijuana.

The law did not, however, give guidelines for the amount of medical marijuana patients could have in their possession.

SB 420 set a minimum guideline of six mature plants or 12 immature plants, and up to eight ounces of processed cannabis flowers, according to California legislature (HS 11362.77).

HS Director Brown said Wednesday he was hoping to set up an afternoon meeting with County Council Anita Grant regarding what the county's next steps should be, and would bring the issue back before the board. Until a more concrete decision is made, said Brown, the state fee for cards issued is set to increase March 1.

No cards have been issued so far, as the county has not heard back from the the state Department of Health Services regarding its attempt to comply with SB 420.

Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.

[palmspringsbum]

Hughes trial goes to Contra Costa

The Lake County Record-Bee
By Tiffany Revelle--Record-Bee staff
Article Last Updated: 02/11/2008 10:59:39 PM PST


LAKE COUNTY -- The prosecution and defense are both hopeful that a date will be set to begin the Renato Hughes Jr. Murder trial at a Feb. 22 court date in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa was selected as the court venue for the trial Jan. 21 after a San Francisco defense attorney Stuart Hanlon requested the change for the second time at the end of jury selection in Lake County.

Former San Francisco resident Renato Hughes, 23, is charged under the Provocative Act doctrine for the deaths of Christian Foster, 22, of San Francisco, and Rashad Williams, 21, of Brisbane. The men were shot in the back Dec. 7, 2005 as they fled with Hughes from the Clearlake Park home of Shannon Edmonds in an alleged home invasion robbery. The Provocative Act clause holds co-conspirators responsible in the commission of a felony if the action was likely to provoke deadly resistance.

"What is expected to occur is a discussion with the presiding judge about the length of the trial, issues in the trial and our availability and schedules. We're going to try to settle on a trial schedule that works for my cases that are calendared my schedule, Hanlon's schedule and the court's schedule," Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins said Monday.

Retired Lake County Superior Court Judge William A. McKinstry granted the court venue change Nov. 15. Hopkins said Monday that Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Terence L. Bruiniers will preside over the hearing.
A call to the Contra Costa County Superior Court clerk Monday yielded confirmation that the case file was physically received in the court office and that it will be heard in Dept. 1. Hopkins said Bruiniers may assign a Contra Costa judge to hear the case.

"McKinstry was assigned by the judicial council and came in as a visiting judge. He must have, from all appearances, decided he was finished with the case when he granted the change of venue," Hopkins said.

Hanlon said he is trying another case in April and cannot begin the Hughes trial until mid-May.

"The problem is that we need to have an open-ended end point. We need to have date to start the trial and be free to have it have continue to the end," Hanlon said. He said he expects the murder trial to take between four and six weeks.

Hopkins said he believes the trial will take between four and five weeks, and expects to call between 25 and 30 witnesses. Hanlon said he plans to call 15 witnesses.

Edmonds testified in Lake County Superior court previously that Hughes and his two companions broke into his home and demanded marijuana he said he grows for medical purposes. When Edmonds resisted, he said the three men assaulted his fiancee and beat his 17-year-old son with a metal bat.

Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.

[palmspringsbum]

Hidden Valley Lake officials won't ban or police medical marijuana

The Lake County News
Written by Star Laurence
Friday, 20 March 2009


MIDDLETOWN – The growing of medical marijuana will not be banned in Hidden Valley Lake, nor will it be policed by the homeowners association's safety and security division, according to a recent decision.

During a Hidden Valley Lake Association board meeting last month the issue of growing medical marijuana in the community was raised. Board members discussed the legal ramifications if individuals decided to grow it – not only indoors but outside as well.

The subject gave rise to questions and concerns for board members and residents, and the board asked Chief Charles Russ, head of the association's safety and security department, to prepare a report and bring back his recommendations.

Russ did just that at the March 12 meeting.

In his memorandum to the board, Russ explained that California voters passed Proposition 215, the California Compassionate Use Act, in November of 1996. The measure creates an exception to California laws prohibiting the possession and cultivation of marijuana for patients and primary caregivers with a physician's approval.

The law protects people who want to grow medical marijuana by allowing up to 12 immature marijuana plants per qualified patient. In addition they are allowed to have up to a half-pound of dried marijuana at their residence, with the proper identification.

That leads to concerns about people getting together to “co-op” their plants, which could itself become a nuisance. One Hidden Valley Lake resident had reported having marijuana plants stolen from his yard.

Another grower – who uses medical marijuana for severe post traumatic stress disorder resulting from service in a war zone – stated that he did not want this to happen to him and he would take the necessary precautions to insure that.

The Hidden Valley Lake Association board did not want to have their safety and security division monitor and control this area of the law because of the obvious risks involved.

The Lakeport City Council passed an ordinance in 2007 banning the growth of medical marijuana in the city limits citing the plant's strong smell, concerns about potential crimes and the lack of staff resources to engage in extensive regulation.

Russ had several options for the board to consider. One of them was to require residents with medical marijuana cards to register with the association and obtain a special use permit to cultivate the plants outdoors. However this option could also be challenged legally and impact the administrative workload, Russ said.

Russ said that if Hidden Valley Lake is to adopt a policy that prohibits outdoor marijuana cultivation, as they did in Lakeport, they would need to defer to legal counsel and an advisory committee for “additional review and feedback.”

Ultimately, however, Russ' recommendation – which the board accepted – was that the association maintain its existing policy and refer marijuana complaints and issues to the appropriate governmental issue, in this case the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which has legal jurisdiction over Hidden Valley Lake.

[palmspringsbum]

Supervisors to consider extending marijuana dispensaries moratorium

Lake County News | Written by Elizabeth Larson | Sunday, 25 October 2009


LAKEPORT – When it meets on Tuesday the Board of Supervisors will consider extending a temporary moratorium on the opening of new medical marijuana dispensaries.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. TV Channel 8 will broadcast the meeting live.

The agenda can be downloaded at www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Boa ... gendas.htm .

The discussion on extending the interim urgency ordinance – adopted in September – to prohibit the establishment of new medical marijuana dispensaries and enforcement actions against existing medical marijuana dispensaries in the county will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The board adopted the ordinance in response to a growing number of dispensaries and collectives opening around the county since spring, when the county began discussing how to account for the establishments under the current zoning ordinance.

Last week Community Development Director Rick Coel reported to the board that the 45-day urgency ordinance will run out on Oct. 30, and that the law allows for it to be extended for 10 months and 15 days if it can be proved that there's a current and immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare, as Lake County News has reported.

County staff is requesting that the ordinance be extended as they continue working on a draft ordinance on zoning dispensaries and collectives that's expected to be completed within the next few months.