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who are prescribed medical marijuana won't be filling their prescription in Los Gatos anytime soon. The town council unanimously adopted an urgency ordinance on Oct. 5 that prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries in town for at least 45 days. Because the ordinance was approved as an urgency measure, town manager Greg Larson said he would return to the council within 45 days to ask for a longer moratorium that would be adopted under what he called "normal" procedures. The moratorium comes on the heels of a request from an individual who recently applied for a business license for a medical marijuana dispensary…… http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_13553368 http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=103049 Selma acts to outlaw medical marijuana By Kyle Lazarus October 14, 2010 In a unanimous decision, the Selma City Council adopted an urgency ordinance prohibiting smoking, selling and everything else related to medical marijuana within city limits. The urgency ordinance, which lasts 45 days, immediately affects people wishing to set up medical marijuana dispensaries within the city. In Selma City Manager D-B Heusser's report to the council, he said that the city has already received two inquiries from people looking to set up medical marijuana dispensaries in Selma….. http://www.selmaent erprise.com/articles/2009/10/14/news/doc4ad601d9787dc148504736.txt 24 San Bruno bans medical marijuana clubs until 2011 By Joshua Melvin /San Mateo County Times /11/12/2009 SAN BRUNO —— City officials said they needed more time to decide whether or not allow medical marijuana collectives in town and now they won't have to take action until 2011. The City Council decided unanimously Tuesday night to extend a temporary ban on the setting up of pot clubs in San Bruno to Sept. 25, 2011. Under state rules, a first moratorium lasts a maximum of 45 days. But if a City Council opts to extend the hold it jumps to 22 months and 15 days, according to city documents. The council approved the first moratorium last month. "We just wanted a little more information," said Mayor-elect Jim Ruane. "The idea is to be more well-informed."…... http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_13766517 Red Bluff bans marijuana cooperatives By TANG LOR -DN Staff Writer /11/05/2009 An urgency ordinance has been passed by the Red Bluff City Council to ban medical marijuana cooperatives, cooperatives, collectives and dispensaries effective immediately. The ordinance will be in effect for the next 45 days. It does not include a ban on cultivation because the growing and harvesting season is already over, City Attorney Richard Crabtree said. The council voted 4-1 in favor of the ordinance to ban medical marijuana cooperatives, collectives and dispensaries and the cultivation of medical marijuana. Councilman Jim Byrne voted against the ban. Byrne said, an ordinance is not necessary when these things are already illegal under current policies…..A final vote to pass the ordinance will be taken at the next council meeting on Nov. 17. The ban will go into effect 30 days later if the vote is in favor of the ban. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13720241 Tehama County's pot ban extended By GEOFF JOHNSON -DN Staff Writer /10/28/2009 The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to extend its ban on marijuana collectives into late 2010, but may replace the ban with a permanent policy before then. Supervisors previously directed County Counsel to come up with a policy addressing the regulation of dispensaries, collectives and related marijuana operations and passed a 45-day ban that would have expired Friday. As court cases across California continue to clarify what local governments can do to regulate medical marijuana, counsel returned with a proposal extending the county ban by 10 months and 15 days, or until the county has a clearer understanding of what it can do within the confines of state law. The ban does not extend to individual growers with a medical marijuana recommendation or small collectives that do not exchange marijuana for money….. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13659109 Yreka bans marijuana dispensaries By David Smith /Daily News /Fri Nov 20, 2009, Yreka, Calif.: The public had a chance to weigh in on a possible moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Thursday night as the Yreka City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting with two related ordinances up for discussion…..Upon the closing of the public comment period, councilmember David Simmen stated that he believes a provision in the second ordinance may create more of a nuisance if it is included. Specifically, he referred to ordinance number 817, which would amend the Yreka Municipal Code by prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries, collectives, cooperatives and the cultivation of marijuana in any zone. Simmen stated that at issue for him was the provision in the ordinance stating that cultivation can be done by qualified patients or primary caregivers, but only inside. He cited what he believed were possible problems with restricting cultivation to indoors, including living space issues, lighting and energy cost issues and the possible escalation of theft crimes 25 occurring inside a residence, among others. Simmen stated that while he is against having dispensaries in Yreka, he feels that with state law guaranteeing access for patients, removing the indoor cultivation restriction would be safer. City Attorney Mary Frances McHugh stated that a “significant body of evidence” exists that supports the notion that marijuana plants produce noxious odors and when planted outside can possibly invite a public nuisance with regard to theft crimes. After further discussion of whether or not the nuisance is increased by restricting the cultivation to indoors, McHugh stated that both the moratorium and the introduction of ordinance 817 would provide the city with an opportunity to collect evidence and assess the possible impacts of outright banning dispensaries. When the items went to vote, ordinance number 816, “An Urgency Ordinance of the City of Yreka adopting a Moratorium on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries” was passed unanimously. The second vote was to introduce Ordinance 817, meaning that it will be referred to the Planning Commission for review and report. Simmen made the motion to introduce the ordinance, with an alternative provision eliminating the restriction to indoor cultivation, which also passed unanimously. http://www.siskiyoudaily.com /news/x1792905319/Yreka-bans-marijuana-dispensaries Yucca Valley Town Council says Medical Marijuana Dispensary has to go The Yucca Valley Town Council made it loud and clear last night that they do not want any medical marijuana dispensaries in the town, even the one already established. Reporter Tami Roleff was at last night’s Town Council meeting...The Yucca Valley Town Council had a clear message for the Planning Commission about medical marijuana dispensaries. At its meeting last night, newly named Mayor Chad Mayes told Town staff to tell the Planning Commission that the one marijuana dispensary, in Yucca Valley, known as CAMS, has got to go. "The desire of the Council is complete prohibition." Council members emphasized that the the question of disallowing a dispensary was a land-use issue; the dispensary should not be located next door to a ballet studio…..With that, staff was directed to tell the Planning Commission to come up with a complete prohibition against medical marijuana dispensaries. http://www.kcdzfm.com/news/fullstory120209.html#03 Redwood City Council passes marijuana collective moratorium By Shaun Bishop /Daily News Staff Writer /12/15/2009 Medical marijuana collectives could be barred from opening in Redwood City for up to two years after the city council approved a temporary moratorium targeting them Monday. With little discussion, the council voted 7-0 to prohibit any medical marijuana collective from setting up shop for 45 days. The moratorium can be extended in January for an additional 22 months and 15 days. City officials say the moratorium will give them time to draw up regulations for the collectives on issues such as security, hours of operation and criminal background checks. The city currently has no laws regulating medical marijuana collectives or a zoning designation for them. Council Member Jeff Gee, who was elected to the council in November, said during his council campaign he heard from residents in the unincorporated North Fair Oaks area who were concerned about the impacts of the collectives on neighborhoods. Two collectives in North Fair Oaks recently shut down after their applications for licenses under a San Mateo County ordinance regulating collectives were denied. "We heard issues about parking, traffic, a number of things, so I believe it is worthy of making sure that we get it right," Gee said….. http://www.mercurynews.com /breaking-news/ci_13999406 Dispensaries, cultivation ban approved by Montague council By Mike Slizewski /Daily News /Wed Dec 09, 2009 Montague, Calif. -With a minimum of discussion, the Montague City Council unanimously approved two marijuana-related ordinances at its Thursday meeting. The council first OK’ed Ordinance 09-07, termed “an Uncodified Interim Urgency Ordinance of the City Council of Montague Extending Interim 26 Urgency Ordinance No. 09-06, which imposes a Temporary Moratorium on the Establishment of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in the City for an Additional 90 Days.” Prior to the 5-0 vote, Councilwoman Jayne Keller explained that the previous moratorium (09-06) was for 45 days, giving the council time “in order to get this ordinance in place…..The ordinance then defines marijuana dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives, and states that “Cultivation means the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, or processing of cannabis/marijuana plants or any part thereof, whether indoors or outdoors.” There was no input offered by the small crowd in attendance at Thursday’s meeting, and the motion to approve the ordinance was 5-0 in favor. http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/news/x1896264833/Dispensaries-cultivation-ban-approved-by-Montague-council Medical marijuana clubs get cold shoulder on Peninsula By Joshua Melvin /San Mateo County Times /12/20/2009 SAN MATEO — A recent spate of temporary bans on setting up medical marijuana dispensaries in Peninsula cities probably has more to do with changing laws and "not in my backyard" sentiments than hostility toward the concept of medical marijuana, officials said. City councils in South San Francisco, San Bruno and Redwood City have approved moratoriums on medical marijuana collectives after raising questions about crime and concerns of becoming a haven for pot smokers. City officials said the bans allow them to weigh their options…… http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_14030063 Hollister Says No To Pot Clinic Purple Cross RX Gives Presentation To City /December 22, 2009 HOLLISTER, Calif. --The city of Hollister said no Tuesday evening to having a medical marijuana dispensary move into town. In a unanimous vote, the City Council decided to keep current zoning laws that prevent a marijuana dispensary from being in the town. The vote came after representative from Purple Cross Rx made a presentation to the City Council. Purple Cross RX said their clinic would have contributed up to $130,000 in taxes to the city. http://www.ksbw.com/news/22038834/detail.html Lake Elsinore OKs moratorium on growing medical marijuana By GENE GHIOTTO /The Press-Enterprise /Tuesday, December 22, 2009 LAKE ELSINORE -City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a 45-day moratorium on legal marijuana-growing operations in Lake Elsinore while officials decide how to regulate such activities……The city prohibits the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries but allows the possession, use and cultivation of medical marijuana in accordance with state law, according to a staff report. http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_spot23.47060fe.html Medical marijuana demand continues, suppliers abound By Dylan Darling /October 31, 2009 As medical marijuana use and collectives continue to grow in the north state, so does the amount of pot grown both indoors and outdoors by people with doctors' recommendations for the drug. "It's everywhere," said Lt. Jeff Foster of the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. And as leaders in Redding and other cities throughout the north state continue to debate how they may regulate the new businesses, law enforcement agencies are trying to make sure growers don't plant more than the allowed amounts. At the same time, the collectives are trying to maintain a supply for the increasing demand. Owners at three of the more than 20 collectives in Redding said they fill their jars with marijuana grown by their members. "A good portion of the marijuana here is patient-grown," said Allen Perry, co-owner of the River Valley 27 Collective…..Sheriff's officials say it can be much more profitable if a grower decides to break the rules. Twenty outdoor plants can produce more than 100 pounds, Foster said, possibly bringing more than $200,000 when sold to collectives -which he said pay about $2,000 per pound……Sgt. Steve Solus said about 7 out of 10 people growing pot in the county saying it was for a medicinal purposes this year were out of compliance for having too many plants, an expired recommendation or no recommendation at all. Sheriff's deputies this year pulled about 10,000 plants from 50 outdoor and indoor gardens, including 800 plants from one Whitmore garden grown by a man with one recommendation. In Redding, the level of compliance was reversed, with 26 out of 36 -about 70 percent -indoor and outdoor gardens meeting legal guidelines, said Sgt. Jeff Wallace of the Redding Police Department. Like Foster, Wallace said the possibility of a profit is what motivates people to grow more than allowed. "People are making a lot of money behind this," he said…... http://www.redding.com/news/2009/oct/31/medical-marijuana-demand-continues- suppliers/Growing Medical Marijuana Industry Sparks Debate in California By Mike O'Sullivan /Los Angeles /11 November 2009 ……Marijuana clinics are spreading in California, which has some people calling for a crackdown, and others demanding that marijuana be legalized. In Oakland, California, the state's largest marijuana dispensary, called the Harborside Health Center, serves 600 patients a day. It provides marijuana for a wide range of ailments, from cancer to difficulty sleeping. "When a patient comes to us for the first time, we first, of course, verify that they're a legal medical cannabis patient. And then we ask them to sign an agreement. And in that agreement, they elect to become a member of our collective and they authorize all of the other members of the collective to grow cannabis on their behalf," said Steve DeAngelo, the center's founder and chief executive officer…..The Harborside Health Center has 30,000 registered members and annual revenues of $20 million. Members line up and clerks help them with their purchases of marijuana strains with names like Blue Dream and Train Wreck……Both supporters and opponents of marijuana agree that current laws governing the use of medical marijuana are confusing, and they say it is up to the courts to decide how widely available marijuana will be in the future. http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-11-voa1.cfm Pot billboards near school go down By FERMIN LEAL /THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER /November 16, 2009 ANAHEIM -A billboard for medical marijuana located near Magnolia High School in Anaheim. The photo was taken Nov. 6, 2009. The ad was replaced as of Nov. 16, 2009 with a new one that had no photo of a person and no direct reference to marijuana. COURTESY OF LINDA PADILLA …..The ad described the man as "A Typical Stoner," and also said "Marijuana Works." Those billboard signs were replaced last week by others that just displayed MediCann, with the company Web site and toll free phone number. A MediCann dispensary sits about four miles away on Ball Road and Anaheim 28 Street. Mike Cossota, a sales manager with Lamar Advertising, the company that owns the billboards, said advertisements for MediCann should have never gone up so close to a school. MediCann officials did not immediately return phone calls. Cossota said his company inherited the billboards after Lamar Advertising took over Vista Media, the billboard company that originally contracted with MediCann…..Lamar Advertising was unaware the billboards it inherited from Vista Media for MediCann were adjacent to the school, Cossota said. Linda Padilla, a grandparent of a student at nearby Savanna High School, said she saw the billboards while driving by and was "outraged." "My concern was that this advertisement was so close to the school," she said. "We're trying to send a message to our children that drugs are bad, but then they see signs like these ones." http://www.ocregister.com/news/billboards-219682-medicann-school.html 'Nonprofit' key to medical marijuana sales By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ /THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER /Dec. 4, 2009 Authorities may have seized jars and bags filled with medical marijuana from two Lake Forest dispensaries, but it was the businesses' financial records they were really seeking, records and interviews show…...When it comes to medical marijuana, local authorities say their efforts are focused on the financial status of several dispensaries, and inspecting which are not operating as collectives or cooperatives, where earnings and savings are distributed among its members. Instead, in search warrant affidavits filed in court, investigators point to the criminal history of some dispensary owners, and examples of where they were found to be in possession of tens of thousands of dollars in cash. In one instance, a dispensary owner was pulled and found to be carrying more than $140,000 in cash --the result of eight days worth of sales in one shop, according to an affidavit. In another case, an owner was carrying $76,000 and 23 pounds of marijuana. Authorities say such examples are contradictory to to California law which does not authorize collectives, cooperatives or individuals to profit from medical marijuana sales. Must be nonprofit: "It has to be a nonprofit," said Assistant District Attorney Joe D'Agostino, who oversees the narcotics division. "We're looking at what the letter of the law is, and it says it must be nonprofit."….."We're looking at what the letter of the law is, and it says it must be nonprofit," D'Agostino said. In search warrant affidavits filed in court, investigators allege that 215 Agenda and the Health Collective were not operating as nonprofits. Instead, investigators with the Orange County Sheriff's Department paint a picture of two store-front businesses which were operating with a large amount of cash. According to an affidavit, Mark Moen, owner of 215 Agenda, has been stopped on several occasions by police while carrying a large amount of cash. In September, Moen was allegedly stopped by Huntington Beach Police carrying $145,530 in cash. According to the affidavit, Moen Moen told the officer he was the owner of 215 Agenda and said the money was the proceeds of eight days worth of sales. In June, Moen was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of more than $25,000 derived from sale of a controlled substance in Ukiah County. In the affidavit, investigators state they believe 215 Agenda is selling marijuana for a profit, instead of operating as a cooperative. "I believe the business is a marijuana distribution company that distributes marijuana for cash to any individual with a marijuana recommendation without having any other relationship to the customer," the affidavit reads. Cash and marijuana: A second affidavit alleges The Health Collective also makes a profit…… http://www.ocregister.com/news/dispensaries-222445-profit-marijuana.html During this quarter, two reports two reports were published which suggest an increase in use of marijuana by teens. This importance of this increase is magnified by the findings of two separate medical studies which assert that the use use of marijuana by adolescents causes irreversible effects on the brain and that those effects were more profound than previously thought. 29 Report says teens drinking, smoking pot on the rise in Santa Cruz County By Marissa Cevallos /Santa Cruz Sentinel /10/27/2009 SANTA CRUZ — Pot and booze are on the rise with young teens in Santa Cruz County, according to data from the annual California Healthy Kids Survey released Monday. More than 6,200 students countywide in fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th grades took the survey. More local teens report thinking alcohol is harmful, but that isn't stopping an increasing amount of middle and high school students from binge drinking, the survey showed. Thirty-six percent of high school freshmen countywide who were surveyed in February say they've been very drunk or sick from alcohol, up from 29 percent in 2005. Sixteen percent of seventh-grade students report binge drinking, up from 10 percent in 2005. Yet, more freshmen report thinking that alcohol is harmful or extremely harmful, which is up seven percent from 2005. For marijuana, students seemed less conflicted: more are toking and believe it's benign. Twentysix percent of freshmen who took the survey report having used marijuana in the last 30 days, as opposed to 18 percent in 2005. Half of juniors say they've tried the drug. Bill Manov, the director of alcohol and drug services for the county's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, thinks it's good news that more teens are perceiving alcohol as dangerous because it could lead to a decrease future drinking habits. And although he said there's a pretty widespread acceptance of marijuana in Santa Cruz, he said he is still alarmed at the upward trend of use among children. "For marijuana, the numbers are all going in the wrong direction," said Manov. He said he thinks the new federal policy that gives states more autonomy in policing marijuana is a good move to keep medical marijuana patients out of jail. But, he added, "it may have the unintended consequence of giving kids a message that marijuana use is not harmful."…… http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13646607?source=most_viewed Pot Is Now More Popular Than Tobacco Among Seniors (in High School) Jacob Sullum | December 14, 2009 The latest data from the government-sponsored Monitoring the Future Study, released today, indicate that marijuana use by teenagers, which fell from 2001 through 2006, may be on the rise again. Between 2008 and 2009, the share of students who reported smoking pot in the previous month rose from 5.8 percent to 6.5 percent among eighth-graders, from 13.8 percent to 15.9 percent among 10th-graders, and from 19.4 percent to 20.6 percent among 12th-graders. This is the third year in a row that self-reported marijuana use has risen among high school seniors, who are now more likely to smoke pot than cigarettes (PDF). According to the Associated Press, "researchers said" that "the increase of teens smoking pot is partly because the national debate over medical use of marijuana can make the drug's use seem safer to teenagers." Yet the first medical marijuana law, California's, was passed in 1996, and during the subsequent 13 years another dozen states adopted similar policies. If these laws are signaling teenagers that smoking pot is safe, why the lag? A June 2008 report from the Marijuana Policy Project noted (PDF): More than a decade after the passage of the nation’s first state medical marijuana law, California’s Prop. 215, a considerable body of data shows that no state with a medical marijuana law has experienced an increase in youth marijuana use since their law’s enactment. In fact, all states have reported overall decreases—exceeding 50% in some age groups—strongly suggesting that enactment of state medical marijuana laws does not increase teen marijuana use. To put the recent upward trend in perspective, past-month marijuana use by high school seniors is still only about half as common as it was in 1979. Still, federal officials lament that "the percentage of eighth-graders who saw a 'great risk' in occasionally smoking marijuana fell from 50.5 percent in 2004 to 48.1 percent in 2008 and 44.8 percent this year." It speaks volumes about the scientific basis of our current drug policy that the people charged with implementing it openly pin their hopes for success on their ability to trick 13-year-olds into believing something that is patently false. http://reason.com/blog/2009/12/14/seniors-in-high-school-like-pot 30 Risks of marijuana use: Irreversible marijuana effects on the brain of teens December 22, 2009 /SF Wellness Examiner /Allie Mendoza Risks of marijuana use among teens are worse than originally thought. Daily use of marijuana (also known as cannabis, weed or pot) in teens can cause anxiety and depression as well as irreversible longterm effects on the developing brain, according to a new study by scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Canadian teenagers are among the largest consumers of marijuana in the world. Previous studies have shown that marijuana use can affect teen behavior. Dr. Gabriella Gobbi and her team of researchers wanted to know the effects of marijuana on the brains of teenagers; they also wanted to know if teens are more susceptible to its neurological effects than adults. Results of the study suggest that cannabis affects serotonin and norepinephrine. These brain chemicals are involved in regulation of neurological functions, including mood control, control, anxiety, depression and stress. According to Dr. Gobbi, teenagers who use cannabis have decreased serotonin and decreased norepinephrine transmission. These changes lead to mood disorders and greater susceptibility to stress, respectively. This study provides evidence that teens are more susceptible to the neurological effects of marijuana than adults. Cannabis consumption can lead to irreversible long-term effects on the brain of teenagers. http://www.examiner.com/x-15753-SF-Wellness-Examiner~y2009m12d22-Risks-of-marijuana-use-Irreversible-marijuana-effects-on-the-brain-of-teens Daily Pot Smoking May Hasten Onset of Psychosis ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2009) — Progression to daily marijuana use in adolescence may hasten the onset of symptoms leading up to psychosis, an Emory University study finds. The study was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. The researchers analyzed data from 109 hospitalized patients who were experiencing their first psychotic episode. The results showed that patients who had a history of using marijuana, or cannabis, and increased to daily pot smoking experienced both psychotic and pre-psychotic symptoms at earlier ages. "We were surprised that it wasn't just whether or not they used cannabis in adolescence that predicted the age of onset, rather it was how quickly they progressed to becoming a daily cannabis user that was the stronger predictor," said Michael Compton, lead author and assistant professor of psychiatry in the Emory School of Medicine. The study also found a gender difference: The female subjects who progressed to daily pot smoking had a greater increased risk for the onset of psychosis than the males. Marijuana is the most abused illicit substance among people with schizophrenia, the most extreme form of psychosis, and previous research has shown that smoking pot is likely a risk factor for the disease. The Emory study also focused on what is known as the prodromal period, when a person has symptoms such as unusual sensory experiences, which are often precursors to frank hallucinations and delusions. Prodromal symptoms can occur months, or years, before a diagnosis of psychosis. About 30 to 40 percent of prodomal teenagers will eventually develop schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder. "The prodromal period is especially important because it's considered to be a critical time for preventive intervention," says Elaine Walker, a co-investigator of the study and professor of psychology and neuroscience at Emory. The study also involved researchers from Emory's Rollins School of Public Health and Georgia State University. It was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091220144936.htm An examination of events occurring in other states provides us an opportunity to look at the depth of the problem. Not only are