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US: Supervisors vote to regulate SJ County cannabis businesses lex Breitler Recordnet Tuesday 08 Aug 2017 Don’t expect to see legal pot gardens sprouting overnight. The ban will remain in place until the county can draft and approve an ordinance that will put in place specific rules and regulations. Even then, it’s unclear whether outdoor grows will be allowed at all. The ordinance could allow for any combination of indoor and outdoor marijuana farms, dispensaries and logistical operations. The 3-2 vote came after more than six hours of debate, with supervisors hearing a diverse array of opinions on what should be done. Farmers, public health officials and some law enforcement warned of potential perils with proceeding, while industry representatives, some local nonprofits and the county’s top prosecutor said it was time to act. Supervisor Kathy Miller, who supported overturning the ban along with Tom Patti and Miguel Villapudua, said her vote reflected the will of California voters to legalize marijuana for personal use last November. That vote allows residents to possess up to six plants. Counties and other local agencies still have the ability to ban commercial operations under a separate state law. “Fifty-two percent of the voters in our county approved Proposition 64,” Miller said, referring to last year’s vote. “I believe that as elected officials, it’s our responsibility to figure out a way to meet the voters’ expectations and meet the letter of the law without creating additional negative impacts. “If I thought we could actually close the door and stop it all, that might be a different story. But we can’t. It’s here. And it’s legal.” Supervisors Chuck Winn and Bob Elliott cast dissenting votes. Winn said that while Prop. 64 passed in the county overall, it failed in the unincorporated areas that will be affected by Tuesday’s decision. He said there were too many uncertainties about moving forward, including potential new costs to the county. “This (legal marijuana) is brand new in this state,” Winn said before the vote. “Why are we in a rush to jump off this cliff? Once we go there, there’s no way we’re going to go back. There’s no way.” With the vote, the county will join the city of Stockton as the only two agencies here to approve commercial marijuana. To the east, Calaveras County supervisors gave a thumbs-up to marijuana last year, but after considerable backlash from the community and a change in the political winds, officials there are considering banning it again. San Joaquin supervisors heard sometimes conflicting opinions from many county leaders and citizens. District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar, for example, said she favored allowing marijuana businesses as long as specific rules were carefully crafted first. She said it would become more difficult and expensive to continue the existing ban as marijuana becomes established in neighboring counties. “We have lost the war on marijuana,” Verber Salazar told supervisors. “Marijuana is here. It’s going to continue to grow, and we are going to have to embrace that and figure out the best policy that ensures public safety, or continue a battle in which we’re not succeeding.” Sheriff Steve Moore, on the other hand, suggested supervisors keep the existing ban in place for another year. He said he believes the costs to law enforcement will increase with or without a ban. “Find out what neighboring counties are doing. Find out what they’re doing right,” Moore said. “Bring that back to this board with that experience. Then I believe the board would be able to make a much better informed and better choice.” Tuesday’s decision followed months of public outreach by county officials and their consultants as they sought to determine what the public wanted. An online survey found 63 percent of respondents favoring some kind of allowance for marijuana in the county, but the survey was not limited to county residents and several speakers on Tuesday questioned its validity. Farmers were among those expressing worries about marijuana. “You’re talking about where we live,” south county almond grower Dave Phippen said. “We’re not talking about the city of Stockton. You are impacting our life and our safety and our livelihoods.” Some public health officials also warned about marijuana’s potential impact on young people, including their brain development. But the marijuana already is here, with more than 23,000 illicit plants yanked by law enforcement so far this year. Legalizing it could bring in millions or even tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue, potentially helping to pay for any additional costs. Representatives of some local nonprofit groups suggested the tax money from marijuana businesses also could be used for programs focusing on early childhood intervention and literacy. To marijuana supporters the vote was a step in the right direction. But all the supervisors really did Tuesday was indicate that they want to allow some kind of legal marijuana industry here. The important details have not yet been worked out. Miller, for example, said she is “not interested” in allowing outdoor cultivation. And Patti, who also supported moving forward, suggested concentrating marijuana operations in one industrial area to provide for better security. A draft ordinance may be presented to them before the end of the year, when the current ban expires. Said Miller: “Today, I believe our citizens are more safe with strong, enforceable regulations that we craft so that they work for our residents.” http://www.recordnet.com/news/20170808/supervisors-vote-to-regulate-sj-county-cannabis-businesses
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