cannabisnews.com: Oakland May Tighten Up on Medical Pot Oakland May Tighten Up on Medical Pot Posted by FoM on July 10, 2001 at 07:14:22 PT By Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle Oakland, with one of California's most liberal medicinal marijuana laws, may drastically reduce the amount of the drug patients can grow and keep in their homes. Saying that the city allows more plants -- 144 -- under its 1998 medical marijuana ordinance than any city in the nation, City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente will ask a council committee today to cut the number to 10 plants. The amount of dried marijuana allowed per person would be reduced from six pounds a year to 2.5 pounds. The measure is supported by Oakland police -- who believe that the current ordinance is being abused, and opposed by medical marijuana advocates. "I respect the right of people to have it for medicinal purposes, but there has to be a reasonable amount of plants," said De La Fuente, who opposed the generous limits when they were approved by the council three years ago. De La Fuente says that drug dealers are using the city's ordinance as a cover to grow and sell large amounts of marijuana and that pot's high value -- estimated by police to be $4,000 to $5,000 a pound -- can invite robberies and other crimes. He said Oakland's limits were adopted based on faulty research. His proposal would bring Oakland's ordinance in line with local laws throughout the state rather than allowing 20 times the average amount permitted elsewhere. Berkeley's City Council rejected in March a proposal to use Oakland's liberal rules and instead adopted the marijuana limits De La Fuente seeks. California's Proposition 215, passed by voters in 1996, legalized personal marijuana use for medicinal purposes but did not set possession or cultivation limits. Three years ago, Oakland was viewed as one of the nation's most aggressive cities in its support of medical marijuana. The council went as far as declaring the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative a city agency and its employees city deputies in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the federal government from shutting it down. Jeff Jones, executive director of the marijuana club, said he is unaware of public safety problems stemming from home cultivation and possession of medicinal pot, beyond a few isolated incidents. "I'd like to see the incidents, the names of the suspects who are getting away," said Jones. The Supreme Court ruled in May that the downtown Oakland club cannot distribute marijuana to patients despite state law. The club had not done so since another federal court ruling in 1998 but it continues to issue cards certifying people as medical marijuana users. Jones said that many users may need more than 2.5 pounds of dried marijuana a year, particularly those who bake the drug into brownies rather than smoke it. Councilman Danny Wan, a member of the public safety committee that meets today, said he needs more details on the law enforcement problems before he will support reducing the limits. Lt. Ricky Hart of the Oakland Police Department's vice and narcotics section said police believe the medical pot ordinance is being abused, although they have not tracked the numbers. In one case in East Oakland, he said, four people arrested with 1,000 plants later received doctors' notes saying they needed marijuana for back problems. Hart said police still are pursuing the case against them. In addition, he said, police believe that some legitimate medical marijuana users are growing more pot than they need and selling the surplus. "It's just a nightmare trying to figure the whole thing out," Hart said. "There have been occasions where officers have gone out and had some doubts (that marijuana was being grown for medical reasons). They err on the side of caution and leave the (plants) in place." Note: Councilman, police want less allowed. E-mail Janine DeFao at: jdefao sfchronicle.comSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 Copyright: 2001 San Francisco Chronicle Page A - 11Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/OCBC Versus The US Governmenthttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/mj.htmMedicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 11, 2001 at 08:30:21 PT News Brief from the San Francisco Chronicle Council To Break Tie on Limiting Medical PotSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 Copyright: 2001 San Francisco Chronicle Page A - 12 Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Compiled from Chronicle Staff Reports An Oakland City Council committee deadlocked yesterday on a proposal to reduce the amount of medical marijuana permitted under city law, one of the most liberal policies in the nation. Council President Ignacio De La Fuente has proposed cutting the number of pot plants patients can have in their homes from 144 to 10 and reducing the pounds of dried marijuana permitted from six to 2 1/2 pounds a year. De La Fuente contends that drug dealers are using the city ordinance as a cover to grow and sell large amounts of marijuana. But the council's public safety committee's vote tied 2 to 2 on the proposal, sending it without a recommendation to the full council for a vote in two weeks. Committee chairman Larry Reid and Councilman Henry Chang voted for the change, and Danny Wan and Moses Mayne opposed it. De La Fuente is not a member of the committee. Medical Marijuana Information Links [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by kaptinemo on July 11, 2001 at 05:50:18 PT: Mice in the pockets again, Frances? When an anti says 'we', invariably the implication is that every human body presently breathing - all 8 Billion of them - are in 110% accord with them.When in fact the numbers of those who completely and totally agree with them and their policies seem to be shrinking, and rapidly. The effects of the Draconian laws promulgated by 'dear' Frances and her fellow True Believers are becoming clearer every day. Every parent of a child caught with a joint and was swallowed whole and shat out of the (ha-ha) Justice system now faces the prospect of being unable to send that child to college because that previous conviction invalidated them to receive school loans.To say nothing of those parents whose children were murdered by police in their zeal in enforcing those laws that people like Frances and Joyce think are such a great idea. Parents are now recognizing what their purblind, chearleading support of DARE has bought for them. Many don't like realizing they've been suckered. And are behind the quiet changes we are starting to see with regards to legislation aimed at curbing such laws.More and more people are quietly defecting from the ranks of the antis, tacitly admitting that they've been had.I'd wager that the number of people showing up at your Two-Minute Hate meetings has begun to drop, Frances. Some beg off with excuses about family obligations (now that would be rich) and others simply want to bow out with nary a word. But the reasons are pretty much the same.'We', Frances? Check your pockets; you might have company you're not aware of. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by lookinside on July 10, 2001 at 19:50:03 PT: frances... if your knowledge of horticulture is equal to your knowledgeof marijuana use, you would need to get lucky to end up withenough usable herb to get a buzz once with 200 plants...what you don't understand is that the intoxicating effectsdecrease while the analgesic effects stay fairly stable...a sick person using cannabis doesn't get high, but theirpain is decreased...as i've said before, with opposition like yourself, we'llhave manditory drug use before long...THANK YOU!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by frances on July 10, 2001 at 18:40:23 PT: 144 plants How would someone smoking 144 plants a year know if something is "broke" or not.We're talking into the "ozones." [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by lookinside on July 10, 2001 at 17:33:15 PT: quantity... if they think they are selling the excess, why not do actualpolice work and CATCH them?my wife uses 4 pounds a year of the best available...lesserquality increases consumption...under ideal outdoor growing conditions 10 plants willprovide 4 pounds...a cool summer or other problems willdecrease that yield...the weather in oakland averages muchcooler than here in the central valley..population density makes much of the east bay too exposed tosafely grow outdoors...that leaves indoor cultivation...depending on the skill ofthe person growing, and the money they can reasonably investin their grow system, 10 plants will provide from 1-3pounds...some very skilled growers might improve on thoseamounts, but not many...i don't think there should be ANY limit...people will growwhat they need...hopefully they won't put themselves at oddswith the law... [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by sm247 on July 10, 2001 at 17:10:20 PT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa 144 may be a lot to some but 10 plants is to few. Bottom line is it ain't broke don't fix it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by dedbr on July 10, 2001 at 14:29:55 PT: medical marijuana... This is the reason medical marijuana is going to be a joke.They will make it so hard that you won't be able to keep enough to get well.My 5 plants is all I need,the forty foot kind... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Heretic on July 10, 2001 at 08:04:38 PT: De La Fuente is concerned growers are at risk "De La Fuente says that drug dealers are using the city's ordinance as a cover to grow and sell large amounts of marijuana and that pot's high value -- estimated by police to be $4,000 to $5,000 a pound -- can invite robberies and other crimes."So, what to do to protect the growers? Bust them! Yes, this is so logical. In fact, this might be the solution to all the worlds problems. Just put everyone in jail. Then there will be no more problems!De La Fuente says that the problem is due to the high price of pot. His solution is to restrict the supply! Brilliant. Did this guy take Economics 101?De La Fuente: buy a vowel. You don't have a clue.Heretic [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Geronimo on July 10, 2001 at 07:45:34 PT Oakland Pigs AS usual, some one has their head up their butt. Wake up you cowardly buttheads. That amount will not last a season!The pigs don't care if people suffer! Still stupid after all these years.The God they say they belive in , will burn them in hell! Do not cause your brothers to stumble and fall! Did you ever think when we grew up we would still have people like Bush around? I was in the hope of a better America. Home of the brave! Land of the free! What the hell happened? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment