California, Santa Clarita

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Santa Clarita Should Leave the Weed to the West Side


4/23/2006
Editorial from The Signal: The Newspaper's Opinion


It looks like the Showtime comedy series “Weeds” is quickly turning into reality TV.

Produced at Santa Clarita Studios, the show features Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin, a widowed soccer mom who earns a living by selling marijuana (weed) to a highbrow clientele in the fictional community of Agrestic.

Actually, Agrestic is an amalgamation of Stevenson Ranch, Westridge and Castaic, where many of the outdoor scenes are filmed. Locals will recognize the Stevenson Ranch fountain in the opening sequence (with the words, “Stevenson Ranch,” Photoshopped out), as well as the It’s A Grind Coffee House on The Old Road in Castaic. (Indoor scenes are shot at the java chain’s Beverly Hills store.)

Parker’s character ran into some trouble in a recent episode when a new medical marijuana dispensary opened in town and all of her customers suddenly decided they were sick. Prices were far better for the “legal” stuff.

But she prevailed with exemplary customer service and a tempting array of incredible edibles laced with the devilish weed. (Plus, one of her top customers, a town councilman, decided he didn’t like the idea of his name showing up in a state database of medical marijuana users.)

So ... how is it becoming reality TV? Well, this month the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to open in Stevenson Ranch, Westridge, Castaic and other unincorporated county communities.

Under the county ordinance, all it takes is a minor use permit for a dispensary to offer pot in edible form. The ordinance doesn’t allow plants to be grown on site, but it does let customers consume the edibles there, and to purchase paraphernalia for smoking at home.

Our own Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich wanted to require a somewhat tougher conditional use permit for dispensaries to open, but he was out-shouted by his fellow board members.

On Tuesday, the Santa Clarita City Council will consider placing a ban of up to two years on dispensaries within city limits.

We believe the council should approve this temporary moratorium.

To be clear, the issue is not whether medical marijuana should be legalized in California. The voters of this state decided that at the ballot box 10 years ago.

Rather — and we think even most medical marijuana supporters would agree — if dispensaries are going to be allowed in the city, they should be regulated to ensure that customers have valid prescriptions, that they’re not too close to schools and parks, and that they aren’t creating problems for their neighbors.

As it stands, there is no city ordinance to regulate dispensaries or to prohibit them from opening.

City officials believe they need to act now because, with the county’s decision to allow them, “there is a substantial(ly) increased likelihood that such establishments will seek to locate in the city of Santa Clarita, thus creating a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety or welfare,” the proposed city moratorium states.

“Other California cities that have permitted the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries have witnessed an increase in crime, such as burglaries, robberies and sales of illegal drugs in the areas immediately surrounding such dispensaries,” it states.

Why can’t the city just study the problems, figure out how to overcome them and draft an ordinance that covers all the bases? Because it would be illegal.

California allows marijuana dispensaries, but the dispensing of marijuana, medical or otherwise, still violates federal law.

Recent court cases have offered little guidance. In the same breath that it upheld (or failed to overturn) California’s medical marijuana law, the U.S. Supreme Court also upheld the federal government’s right to stop the sale of marijuana, prescription or no.

The city’s only completely lawful option is to wait for the state and federal governments to iron out their differences.

The county jumped the gun, and in so doing, it exposes itself to liability if someone is injured at a county-approved dispensary and literally makes a federal case of it.

Santa Clarita taxpayers don’t need that.

Legislation is pending in Congress that would allow the use of medical marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various states. The legislation is going nowhere, but as more and more communities across California and other states find themselves languishing in legal limbo, the likelihood increases that Congress and the courts will come to an understanding — one way or the other.

In the meantime, we’ll have to accept that life sometimes imitates art, and that we are indeed stuck in a Showtime comedy.

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Ferry Plans to Fight Pot Dispensary

By Kristopher Daams
Signal Staff Writer
The Signal
Saturday January 13, 2007

One of Santa Clarita's five city council members wants a local task force aimed at combating drug and alcohol use to fight a proposed medical marijuana dispensary reportedly making its way toward Castaic.

Frank Ferry said marijuana is an addictive drug and that he is "very wary" of the prospect of a dispensary being located outside of city limits in Castaic.

On Sunday, The Signal reported that a sergeant at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station had been contacted by an individual who said he is set to open a facility that distributes medical marijuana to those with a doctor's prescription in the Castaic area.

Medical marijuana is generally used among terminally ill patients to regain hunger and fight nausea.

But Ferry, who said he chairs the city's Blue Ribbon Task Force aimed at fighting teen drug and alcohol use, is afraid of local children gaining access to the substance from those that are legally able. Those that are genuinely terminally ill can "go somewhere else," Ferry said.

"If you want it, that's fine," Ferry said. "Go down to West Hollywood or somewhere else."

He said he and other members of the task force in the past would stand outside local stores that sell water pipes - sold officially for tobacco smoking - to make customers uncomfortable.

Ferry wants to do the same thing if a dispensary does ever find its way to Castaic. He said he'd stand there by the entrance to ensure the establishment is run according to the law.

"We will because I know for a fact (medical marijuana is) being abused," he said. "That's not an issue at all."

Ferry said the fact that he is not a Castaic resident doesn't matter. He said residing in the county would put him on equal footing on the city's unincorporated neighbors to the north.

"So if I don't want a facility in my valley, I have an equal standing as someone in Castaic," he said.

Copyright: The Signal

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Medical Marijuana Alternative Exists for Patients

By Josh Premako
Senior Staff Writer
The Signal
Tuesday January 23, 2007

While the debate over medical marijuana rages on, there remains another option for those who are suffering.

It's called Marinol, a small orange capsule offered as an alternative to marijuana.

First approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago, Marinol's main ingredient is dronabinol, which is a synthetic version of Delta-9-THC - the main component of marijuana.

In 1982, it was approved by the FDA to treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for treating cancer. In 1992, it was approved for treating the loss of appetite in AIDS patients.

The drug both stimulates appetite and reduces nausea and vomiting, according to a Web site for Solvay Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Marinol.

"We do use it occasionally," said Dr. Gerald Subar, director of pharmacy at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

With what Subar called a fairly rapid absorption time of between 30 minutes to an hour, Marinol can produce a "high," which he said is defined as easy laughing, heightened awareness and elation.

He said there is a low rate of addiction with the drug, which is listed by the FDA as Class 3.

Class 1 drugs - none of which can be prescribed -include LSD, marijuana and methamphetamine, he said. Class 5, the lowest designation, includes cough syrups with codeine.

Another recently-approved drug containing a synthetic THC is also available, Subar said, and added that that particular drug is a Class 2 and specifically targets nausea and vomiting.

Prescriptions for Marinol are regularly filled at Valencia Pharmacy, said chief pharmacist Jan Balthasar, and he said that is likely the case for many pharmacies in the valley.

However, a prescription alternative to marijuana is not necessarily the end-all solution, said William Dolphin, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access.

He referenced reports where he said Marinol users found the drug to be far more psychoactive than marijuana.

Additionally, Dolphin said while it can take as much as 40 minutes for Marinol to take effect, inhaled marijuana can take effect in as little as 15 seconds - and the dose is easier to control.

"People tend to prefer the plant," he said, although he added that "(Marinol's) certainly an answer for some patients."

Even Subar conceded that "there are legitimate uses for (medical marijuana)," and said while there are abuses it is a fine line.

For the time being, Marinol may be the only legitimate option for local residents who don't want to leave the valley to visit a medical marijuana dispensary.

Earlier this month, Sgt. Phil Morris of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station's Narcotics Bureau said he was contacted by an individual planning to set up a marijuana dispensary in Castaic.

On Jan. 18, Bruce McClendon, director of planning for the county told The Signal that no applications had been filed nor approvals granted for a facility in Castaic.

Last week, Morris said that anecdotally he has heard that after learning of potential community opposition to a dispensary, the individual who contacted him has decided not to pursue opening a marijuana facility.

Copyright:The Signal

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The Signal

Just Say No to Marijuana Dispensaries In SCV

Commentary By Frank Ferry
Sunday January 28, 2007

Much has been written lately about the licensing of medical marijuana here in our community. As chair of the city of Santa Clarita's Blue Ribbon Task Force and an avid opponent of marijuana use and dispensaries, I feel compelled to share some facts and research with you, as well as some opinions I have as a parent and school administrator.

First and foremost, you need to know that drug use, especially marijuana use, among teens doesn't just exist in the Santa Clarita Valley. It is rampant.

Now, I know for some of you parents, this is not troubling to you. Heck, you used marijuana in your teens; you smoked and drank beer; you see it as a right of passage and you are not concerned.

What you might not know is that the marijuana that is available to teens today is much stronger than the marijuana that was available in the 1960s or 1970s. Sometimes it is also laced with other, more potent drugs.

Marijuana is physically addictive. Each year, 100,000 teens are treated for marijuana dependence. Teens who smoke marijuana heavily experience many the same symptoms of withdrawal as users of nicotine.

Between 1991 and 2001, the percentage of eighth graders nationally who used marijuana doubled from 1 in 10 to 1 in 5. Kids are using marijuana at an earlier age.

Research indicates that the earlier teens start using marijuana, the more likely they are to become dependent on this or other drugs later in life. Of teens admitted for treatment for marijuana dependence, 56 percent had first used the drug by 14 years of age, and 26 percent had begun by 12 years of age (Kids and Marijuana).

According to a National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), marijuana was the most frequently used drug of choice by teens. The NHSDA also reported that teens using marijuana on 12 or more days during the past year, 58 percent of them had one problem that they related to their marijuana use, 41 percent had two problems, and 28 percent had at least three problems that they related to their marijuana use.

From age 12 to age 13, the proportion of teens who say they could buy marijuana if they wanted to more than triples, from 14 to 50 percent. Also, the percentage of teens who say that they know a student at their school who sells drugs almost triples, from 8 percent to 22 percent (Psych Central).

With the advent of marijuana dispensaries, teens get a mixed message about marijuana, but the message needs to be clear. Marijuana is an illegal substance that affects teens in many harmful ways.

It is very important to begin taking with kids about it by at least 12 years of age. Magazines or newspaper articles are often a good place to start your discussion about drugs. Teens need to be told clearly and often that using marijuana and other illegal substances carries significant health, safety, and legal risks (Kids using Marijuana).

This "slippery slope" is what concerns me. Those truly in need and eligible for medical marijuana in our community are a very small group compared with the large number of teens who may "slip through the system" and be able to obtain marijuana from a dispensary. While you might say that "kids will get it anyway," I say, let's not be our kids drug dealer!

For those of you who are wondering what is being done to prevent alcohol and drug use in our community, I can tell you that it is a lot. Sheriff's deputies conduct regular alcohol stings and utilize minor decoys to catch liquor stores who sell to minors, as well as adults who buy alcohol for minors. Several arrests have been made to this effect. The Sheriff's Department also works closely with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to conduct operations and stings and to enforce the law.

Our own Blue Ribbon Task Force offers programs and education to the community that addresses various teen issues, including drug and alcohol use. We do not support nor endorse marijuana dispensaries in our valley. It is easy for teens - and adults, for that matter - who do not necessarily have debilitating conditions to potentially get a prescription written for medical marijuana.

Having a facility close by will provide easy access and can easily compound the problem.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force developed and disseminated information materials in English and Spanish) about a Prescription/Over-the-Counter Drug Campaign, designed to educate the community about the dangers of prescription-OTC drug abuse. These materials - posters and brochures - were sent to medical offices, pharmacies and drug stores in the area.

I am particularly proud of the DADS program, which I founded - Dads and Moms Against Drugs. This program is a group of moms and dads and their teens and tweens who meet and listen to presentations about drug use among teens. Parents are given drug test kits to use on their kids randomly; results are confidential and kept among themselves.

The program's objective is two-fold: prevention - random drug testing by parents gives kids an excuse to say "no" when their peers offer or pressure them to use drugs; and intervention - if the test comes back positive, parents can seek intervention and treatment for their kids.

Every year, the Blue Ribbon Task Force hosts "Teen Scene Unplugged," a unique program for teens and parents designed to educate the community, especially parents of teens, on various teen issues, including drug and alcohol use.

<hr class=postrule>
<center><small>If you are interested in learning more about the Blue Ribbon Task Force or becoming a member,
contact the city at (661) 255-4965. We welcome your support.

Frank Ferry is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council.
His column reflects the city's views, and not necessarily those of The Signal.</small></center>

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Santa Clarita Planners Pass On Grass

<span class=postbigbold>Planning Commission approves ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.</span>

The Signal
By Katherine Geyer
Signal Staff Writer
Wednesday January 16, 2008

Santa Clarita Planning Commissioners just said no to marijuana Tuesday night when they unanimously approved a city code change that prohibits the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city.

“The fact is, that the legislation and the conflict between the state and federal government has created an untenable situation right now,” said Commissioner Tim Burkhart.

He said the city should protect itself from “being caught up in a process that was done for the right reasons, but was certainly not well thought out.”

Sgt. Phil Morris of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station said this week that since the state legalized medical marijuana use, teens have abused the medical cards.

In 2006, the city had imposed an urgency ordinance to prohibit the dispensaries in Santa Clarita.

“It is unfortunate because I think there truly is a need for people who are in terrible health and need this medicine and need it delivered in a certain way, but the law was not created in a good way and has put us all in a bad situation,” said Commissioner Diane Trautman.

Federal law prohibits marijuana from being distributed, but California’s Proposition 215, passed in 1996, allows for the drug to be used for medicinal purposes.

Although state law legalized the use of medical marijuana, there is nothing that specifically authorizes the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries, said Assistant City Attorney Joe Montes.

“We’re just going to close that loop to make sure the issue is clear,” he said.

The item will be considered by the City Council.

At a study session preceding the Planning Commission meeting, city planners said they have begun to work with county planners to provide input on county developments within the Santa Clarita Valley. The city will be keeping a closer eye on proposed county developments that lie within the city’s sphere of influence, an area outside the city that is expected to eventually become part of the city.

“They deserve close attention on the part of the city,” said Paul Brotzman, director of community development for the city.

He said that the closer the projects are to the city limits, the harder the city pushes to influence the plans.

Also at the Planning Commission meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved the architectural design review for a new California Pizza Kitchen and a new Lifestyle Center as part of the Westfield Valencia Town Center expansion project.

The commission also approved a request to convert the Caravilla Mobile Home Park in Canyon Country from a rental park to individual ownership.

Commissioners agreed to continue until Feb. 5 the public hearing regarding the removal of a non-conforming sign at A-American Self Storage and Cat Doctor at 26053 Bouquet Canyon Road.

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City Pot Dispensary Ban Moves Ahead; Skate Park Plan to be Reviewed


<span class=postbigbold>Council Wrap</span>

The Santa Clarita Valley Signal
February 27, 2008

By Katherine Geyer
Signal Staff Writer
kgeyer@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x518


The City Council Tuesday voted to move forward with an ordinance that would keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of Santa Clarita.

Also at the meeting, a swarm of skateboarders congregated at City Hall to demand that city leaders reconsider closing the city's only skatepark while they build a new one at the George A. Caravalho Sports Complex in Canyon Country.

The medical marijuana ban would not ban medical marijuana prescriptions but prohibit facilities that distribute the drug.

"Our high school seniors know exactly what doctors to go to and exactly what to say to get (medical marijuana prescriptions)," said Councilman Frank Ferry. "It's just a license to distribute it among their friends."

The council passed an urgency ordinance in 2006 in fear that a conflict between state and federal laws would allow for the setting up of medical marijuana dispensaries in Santa Clarita.

Federal laws prohibit the manufacturing and possession of marijuana while a state law provides an exception if the marijuana is used for medical purposes.

The conflict makes it unclear whether such facilities would be legal within cities, so the authority to make that decision is given to individual municipalities. The city is looking to uphold the federal regulations until the conflict is resolved.

The ordinance will return to the council for a second reading at an upcoming meeting. If passed then, it wiould become a law.

Earlier in the meeting, about a dozen skateboard fanatics stepped up to the podium to plead to the city to let them skate.

"If you close this park, you're taking away a place to meet up with all your friends. They're like my second family," said 11-year-old skateboarder Tyler Pacheco, of Saugus. "There's countless places where you can play soccer and basketball or baseball ... There's not many places for us to skate."

The city is planning to close the existing 6,000-square-foot skate park and build a 20,000-square-foot park at another end of the property. The park could be closed for four months, according to City Manager Ken Pulskamp.

Local skate shop owner Mike Riederer said once the park is closed, kids will "start doing things they shouldn't be doing."

Although he was wearing a business suit, resident Sterling King said he learned to skateboard when he was 12 years old and could empathize with the kids.

Even Councilwoman Laurene Weste said she used to skateboard and said she can appreciate the sport.

Pulskamp said because of complications with the geology of the property, it would cost the city an additional $750,000 to work around the existing park during construction.

The council directed city staff to hold public meetings to hear the community concerns and inform the public of the city's plans. The matter will then return to the council in about one month.