cannabisnews.com: Pot Clubs OK'd in Urban Areas Pot Clubs OK'd in Urban Areas Posted by CN Staff on January 31, 2007 at 07:41:16 PT By Bleys W. Rose, The Press Democrat Source: Press Democrat California -- Sonoma County supervisors will allow medical marijuana clubs to locate in urban areas of the unincorporated county, overriding the objections of its top law enforcement officer.The unanimous vote Tuesday means owners of medical marijuana dispensaries can start applying for use permits if they comply with zoning laws that effectively restrict them to commercial areas of Guerneville, Forestville, Boyes Hot Springs, and outside Santa Rosa City limits in Roseland and along south Santa Rosa Avenue. In an action that lifts a nearly 2-year moratorium on dispensaries that dole out marijuana to people who produce a prescription for the drug, supervisors said they came down on the side of compassion rather than the law."I am going to vote more with my heart than with my brain. I think it is important to get the medication to people that need it," said Supervisor Mike Kerns, a 25-year veteran of the Petaluma police department.The decision puts Sonoma County's five supervisors at odds with Sheriff Bill Cogbill who warned that the county ordinance would not provide dispensary operators with immunity from prosecution. Sale of certain amounts of marijuana remains a federal law violation, although state law has provided exemptions for pot grown by collectives for medical purposes."A change in the zoning law does not preclude me from enforcing the law," Cogbill told supervisors at the beginning of an hourlong public hearing. "They can possess and cultivate it (for medical reasons), but they can not sell it retail. It will not ensure that prosecution of dispensaries will not occur."After the public hearing, a jubilant crowd of several dozen medical marijuana supporters celebrated, led by a a woman who had identified herself in the public hearing as Donna Frank, head of the North Bay Wellness Cooperative, a club operating on south Santa Rosa Avenue. She declined comment on the supervisors' decision and on the sheriff's position on prosecution.When visited Tuesday by a Press Democrat reporter and photographer, men who answered the doors at two medical marijuana dispensaries in Guerneville and south of Santa Rosa declined interview requests.The River Road dispensary in Guerneville, set inside a plain white building and adjoining a Thai restaurant, lacks any outward indication of its existence."These guys next to me, I don't have a problem with," said Peter Hackett, who for nine years has owned the neighboring Stumptown Brewery. "They're very discreet. They don't even have a sign up."Nevertheless, Hackett voiced no objection to the county regulating the dispensary."I don't think it's a bad thing for them to be regulated, though," Hackett said. "They regulate alcohol pretty tightly."County planning department staff will return to supervisors March 20 with a final version of amendments to zoning codes that will permit clubs to operate. Supervisors said they did not want dispensaries to operate within 1,000 feet of a school or playground and did not want to allow on-site consumption of cannabis.None of the handful of clubs operating in the unincorporated county will be "grandfathered" into existence. Nearly all nine cities in the county have enacted bans on marijuana dispensaries, although Cotati is considering allowing them in commercial areas.Supervisor Tim Smith said the county would also look for ways to limit the number of dispensaries because "I don't want anyone to have free rein even if the county chooses to allow this."Note: Roseland, Guerneville could be affected by supervisors' vote.Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)Author: Bleys W. Rose, The Press DemocratPublished: January 31, 2007Copyright: 2007 The Press DemocratContact: letters pressdemo.comWebsite: http://www.pressdemo.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by mayan on January 31, 2007 at 17:34:41 PT Compassion Vs. The Law In an action that lifts a nearly 2-year moratorium on dispensaries that dole out marijuana to people who produce a prescription for the drug, supervisors said they came down on the side of compassion rather than the law.Well put! I guess that means there is no compassion when it comes to the law. It's long past time for all Americans to demand what is right and say to hell with the corrupted,oppressive cannabis laws.In unrelated news, there's not much time left...Bush 'spoiling for a fight' with Iran: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldbriefing/story/0,,2002232,00.htmlThe young will stand and be counted or die..."Surge" or "Involuntary" Military Conscription: The Neo-Conservative Architects of Military Escalation: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20070126&articleId=4599THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Dan Wallace of NY911Truth, Fallen Firefighter's Son, Found Dead: http://911blogger.com/node/5861Truth Videos Surge Into Google Top 100; Terror Storm at Number 11: http://prisonplanet.com/articles/january2007/310107truthvideos.htmRock Creek Free Press: http://rockcreekfreepress.com/Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice: http://stj911.org/index.html9/11 Accountability: Strategies and Solutions Conference - Crown Plaza San Marcos - Chandler, Arizona - February 23-25: http://911accountability.org/accountability/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 12:01:57 PT goneposthole That is a great song. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by goneposthole on January 31, 2007 at 11:52:34 PT Pushers of Prohibition Your drug, prohibition, kills. You know who you are. The Pusher [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 09:49:00 PT Dankhank I hope you can schedule your trip so you could go to this event. It doesn't say Neil will be there but I'm sure he will drop in since it benefits the Bridge School.I hate Meth and am so thankful that it hasn't hit around here yet. If I ever found out a friend of mine was doing meth I wouldn't associate with them until they cleaned up their act. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Dankhank on January 31, 2007 at 09:45:43 PT: goin' to LA ... there's a good chance I may be in the area then ...After two years of some of the craziest meth-fueled shit you ever wanted to know about taking place around here, it's time for me to road trip.Haven't decided where I'm going yet, but I'm going ... in a few days ...I'll let you know from some wireless establishments where I'm at when I get there ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 08:46:20 PT OverwhelmSam I don't believe police should be involved in any issues that concerns changing laws. They are only to enforce laws on the books and that's it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 08:44:34 PT Related Article Legal Move by Inland Town Targets Medical Pot Facilityhttp://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_cmarijuana31.274e308.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 31, 2007 at 08:41:54 PT Who Signs Your Paycheck Cogbill? The county, or the federal government?"A change in the zoning law does not preclude me from enforcing the law," Cogbill told supervisors at the beginning of an hourlong public hearing.Wow! Our police officers need to be admonished, reprimanded, fired, sued and/or jailed. They have no right to lobby for which laws they are going to enforce. Time for some of their abused authority to be taken away. I still don't understand how police officers can be okay with gunning down innocent old men and women just because they thought these people who were hurting no one had some drugs. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 08:24:20 PT Off Topic: Event in Los Angeles: Songs of Protest I would love to go to this if I lived in LA.Poster: http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwpics/songsofprotestposter.jpg [ Post Comment ] Post Comment