Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The Ridgecrest City Council at its meeting Wednesday voted to send a letter to the Kern County Planning Department supporting a ban on commercial cultivation and retail sales of cannabis in unincorporated areas of the county. The Kern County Board of Supervisors will not make their decision until October or November, but council weighed in with their recommendation for the ban.
If enacted, the ban would not affect people's legal right to use medical marijuana (if 18 or over and holding a marijuana card) or recreational marijuana if (21 or over). It would prohibit cultivation and sales, not legal use.
Kern County currently is in the middle of an environmental impact report process. A draft of the EIR and two proposed ordinances – one banning commercial cannabis sales and cultivation and the other regulating the activity – are in the public comment phase, which ends Sept. 11. The draft EIR goes before the county planning commission in Bakersfield later this month for review.
Council's decision to back the county ban came after nearly 20 people spoke for an hour in favor of regulated medical and recreational marijuana cultivation and sales. Many people said they have benefited from medical marijuana, which most of them said they obtain from County Line Organics. They argued that medical marijuana works better than many prescription drugs and that being forced to drive to another county to obtain it would constitute an undue hardship.
According to representatives from County Line Organics, a dispensary on Inyokern Road just outside city limits, there are approximately 4,000 registered medical marijuana patients in the Ridgecrest area. According to those claiming to be in the know, County Line is one of several dispensaries in and around Ridgecrest and the outskirts of the county.
The pro-cannabis contingent
Pro-cannabis speakers said they suffered from a variety of conditions, ranging from cancer and epilepsy to anxiety disorders and chronic pain. What they had in common was they all said medical marijuana had significantly improved their quality of life.
In some cases, they claimed it saved lives.
"My husband would be dead right now if it weren't for medical marijuana," said one speaker. "He is alive today because of this." Another man gave medical marijuana credit for helping put his cancer into remission.
"I am an epileptic and have used cannabis as my sole medicine for the last five months. Before I found this miracle medicine I was basically a medical experiment," Michael Rice said. "I was diagnosed at 16 and have never been able to drive, forcing me to go elsewhere to obtain my medication, which would be a great burden.
"Over the years I have had an increasing number of seizures and have tried many medications. The results were making my seizures worse and side effects that made it impossible to carry out my daily activities. Until now I went from having up to five grand mal seizures per month to only having one seizure in the last four months."
Jordan Jarvis said he also visits County Line Organics. "If I wasn't able to go to them, I would have to drive to Bakersfield to get pot. That's a long way. Especially if you don't have a driver's license because of your seizures and you've got to get cannabis so you don't have more."
Elena Walton said she is a recent BHS graduate with a high GPA, who is currently attending Cerro Coso Community College.
Walton said she has been diagnosed with mental disorders, chronic depression and high social anxiety.
"I am here to say that it is a medicine and it is a natural form of a medicine. And I have been taking many, many antidepressants [and other medications]," Walton said. "I have gotten up to seven pills in one day. That's how severe my condition was. I actually did not get proper treatment from those antidepressants, which ended up making my depression, my anxiety and my disorder worse and put me into a really bad spiral.
She added, "I have not been smoking cannabis for very long, but I do realize that it has regulated my eating, it has helped me recover, it has put in a more positive mindset. It has not left me any less motivated."
Dawn Sanders hinted that if the local dispensaries are closed, she may consider legal action.
"You representatives have to speak up for your medical patients, at least, and allow us safe access to our medication here at a proven local safe facility, Sanders said. "If it is you who stand in our way as a patient, then I will have to take what legal steps I must to have you and Kern County uphold my legal rights."
Representatives from County Line Organics also spoke up. They said they have been in the area seven years, that they are careful about checking paperwork and they do accept referrals from local doctors. They also hinted that they too may look at legal action if the county closes dispensaries.
According to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital CEO Jim Suver, whether doctors recommend medical marijuana to patients is a matter between individual physicians and their patients.
Other people said medical marijuana has helped them with back problems, osteoarthritis and chronic pain and is far easier to tolerate than opioids.
"I thank God that I found the proper medication," Jose Ritana said.
Others made a more general argument.
"It's my vice and I choose to do it. And that is what freedom is sir," a woman from Johannesburg said, referring to a comment made by Councilman Wallace Martin at the outset of the discussion. She said she uses marijuana for medical purposes.
"I am a recreational marijuana user. I don't use it for medical purposes. That's maybe not something that people want to share," Joseph Hunter said.
Hunter said he has been a recreational marijuana user for 10 years. "During that time I got a bachelor's degree. I got a 4.0 in my major while I was smoking marijuana."
Hunter, who played Iago in a recent local production of William Shakespeare's "Othello," noted that he had an extremely long speech in that play.
"I memorized and performed it onstage while I was high. There's a thousand lines of Shakespeare in that," Hunter said. "So I don't really think you can say that it's something that kills your memory."
A handful of people spoke up supporting the idea of a ban or expressing mixed opinions.
"If the county has not made it clear that there is an option to allow us medical marijuana dispensaries, then they have done us a disservice in that respect. We should tell them that we are against the recreational use and the cultivation of marijuana in Kern County, but we should continue with a specified number of properly regulated medical marijuana dispensaries," Mike Neel said.
"I strongly support the letter [backing a county ban]," Bob Parker said.
"I think that our community, especially the law enforcement, cannot afford to have the additional problems of dealing with people are high," said another speaker supporting the ban.
Council backs county ban
Council members expressed sympathy, but in the end voted to back the county in a ban.
"I could never use a well-known human vice as a tool for economic development," Martin said prior to the public comment. He said he supported the letter backing a county ban, but thought the issue should be put to a vote.
"Our citizens should decide this massively controversial issue."
Martin also said he supports medical marijuana use, providing it is highly controlled and regulated.
After the public comment portion of the meeting, Martin said, "I heard everything everyone said. I believe everything everybody said. I am not against anybody with a medical condition finding relief anywhere they can find it. And if it's less expensive and effective then I am in favor of that."
Martin ultimately voted to send the letter supporting the ban to the county, leading to confusion amongst some members of the audience.
"I understand that they [marijuana products] are very good medically, but they are getting into the hands of our children," Councilwoman Lindsey Stephens said.
"I am sympathetic to the people who have come up," Councilman Eddie Thomas said. "But I also have a unique position of dealing with some of the young people who have experienced some of the conditions that have come.
Thomas added, "A lot of them have stated that [marijuana] was the entryway that led them to get involved with [harder drugs]. It's not a tax thing or a money thing with me, its more of a protective thing."
Mayor Pro Tem Michael Mower joked that as the only council member currently sitting there who voted for the casino, "if I vote for marijuana I might as well leave town."
Specifically, council decided to send the county a letter, which reads in part:
"Commercial cannabis operations and legalized marijuana in general, brings a myriad of public safety issues to our community. Public safety is compromised and public health is negatively impacted by these issues. Even if regulation is attempted, commercial cannabis will increase the burden on already overburdened and underfunded law enforcement agencies and stretch the resources of public health and other social service organization. The overall combined impact puts our communities at great risk. The initial economic boost that commercial cannabis operations may bring to Kern County will not cover the true long-term social-economic cost to our community.
"We believe that the only way to prevent a series [sic] degradation in the quality of life in our community is to ban all commercial cannabis operations in the unincorporated areas of Kern County."
The item was approved unanimously by the four council members present. Mayor Peggy Breeden left the meeting prior to the discussion due to health reasons. Mower conducted the remainder of the meeting.
What's next
A similar item regarding cannabis cultivation within city limits is likely to come before council in the near future.
The city of Ridgecrest currently has a medical marijuana sales prohibition in place. City staff members have indicated that at an upcoming meeting, council will be asked to update the municipal code to extend the prohibition to sales and cultivation of recreational marijuana.
According to interim City Manager Ron Strand, staff intends to recommend that council support the suggested municipal code amendment, prohibiting commercial sales and cultivation of marijuana for recreational use.
Levity in council chambers
The agenda item Wednesday led to several moments of levity within council chambers.
"The letter has 'degradation to the quality of life in our city?' You are bringing a casino here!" one man said, leading to a great deal of laughter.
Dave Matthews noted that he has lived a long life without marijuana use.
"I don't think I ever knew really what marijuana smelled like, but I think I can smell it tonight," he said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: City council supports a county cannabis ban - News - Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA - Taft, CA
Author: Jessica Weston
Contact: Contact Us – Gatehouse Media
Photo Credit: Dreamstime
Website: Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Taft, CA
If enacted, the ban would not affect people's legal right to use medical marijuana (if 18 or over and holding a marijuana card) or recreational marijuana if (21 or over). It would prohibit cultivation and sales, not legal use.
Kern County currently is in the middle of an environmental impact report process. A draft of the EIR and two proposed ordinances – one banning commercial cannabis sales and cultivation and the other regulating the activity – are in the public comment phase, which ends Sept. 11. The draft EIR goes before the county planning commission in Bakersfield later this month for review.
Council's decision to back the county ban came after nearly 20 people spoke for an hour in favor of regulated medical and recreational marijuana cultivation and sales. Many people said they have benefited from medical marijuana, which most of them said they obtain from County Line Organics. They argued that medical marijuana works better than many prescription drugs and that being forced to drive to another county to obtain it would constitute an undue hardship.
According to representatives from County Line Organics, a dispensary on Inyokern Road just outside city limits, there are approximately 4,000 registered medical marijuana patients in the Ridgecrest area. According to those claiming to be in the know, County Line is one of several dispensaries in and around Ridgecrest and the outskirts of the county.
The pro-cannabis contingent
Pro-cannabis speakers said they suffered from a variety of conditions, ranging from cancer and epilepsy to anxiety disorders and chronic pain. What they had in common was they all said medical marijuana had significantly improved their quality of life.
In some cases, they claimed it saved lives.
"My husband would be dead right now if it weren't for medical marijuana," said one speaker. "He is alive today because of this." Another man gave medical marijuana credit for helping put his cancer into remission.
"I am an epileptic and have used cannabis as my sole medicine for the last five months. Before I found this miracle medicine I was basically a medical experiment," Michael Rice said. "I was diagnosed at 16 and have never been able to drive, forcing me to go elsewhere to obtain my medication, which would be a great burden.
"Over the years I have had an increasing number of seizures and have tried many medications. The results were making my seizures worse and side effects that made it impossible to carry out my daily activities. Until now I went from having up to five grand mal seizures per month to only having one seizure in the last four months."
Jordan Jarvis said he also visits County Line Organics. "If I wasn't able to go to them, I would have to drive to Bakersfield to get pot. That's a long way. Especially if you don't have a driver's license because of your seizures and you've got to get cannabis so you don't have more."
Elena Walton said she is a recent BHS graduate with a high GPA, who is currently attending Cerro Coso Community College.
Walton said she has been diagnosed with mental disorders, chronic depression and high social anxiety.
"I am here to say that it is a medicine and it is a natural form of a medicine. And I have been taking many, many antidepressants [and other medications]," Walton said. "I have gotten up to seven pills in one day. That's how severe my condition was. I actually did not get proper treatment from those antidepressants, which ended up making my depression, my anxiety and my disorder worse and put me into a really bad spiral.
She added, "I have not been smoking cannabis for very long, but I do realize that it has regulated my eating, it has helped me recover, it has put in a more positive mindset. It has not left me any less motivated."
Dawn Sanders hinted that if the local dispensaries are closed, she may consider legal action.
"You representatives have to speak up for your medical patients, at least, and allow us safe access to our medication here at a proven local safe facility, Sanders said. "If it is you who stand in our way as a patient, then I will have to take what legal steps I must to have you and Kern County uphold my legal rights."
Representatives from County Line Organics also spoke up. They said they have been in the area seven years, that they are careful about checking paperwork and they do accept referrals from local doctors. They also hinted that they too may look at legal action if the county closes dispensaries.
According to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital CEO Jim Suver, whether doctors recommend medical marijuana to patients is a matter between individual physicians and their patients.
Other people said medical marijuana has helped them with back problems, osteoarthritis and chronic pain and is far easier to tolerate than opioids.
"I thank God that I found the proper medication," Jose Ritana said.
Others made a more general argument.
"It's my vice and I choose to do it. And that is what freedom is sir," a woman from Johannesburg said, referring to a comment made by Councilman Wallace Martin at the outset of the discussion. She said she uses marijuana for medical purposes.
"I am a recreational marijuana user. I don't use it for medical purposes. That's maybe not something that people want to share," Joseph Hunter said.
Hunter said he has been a recreational marijuana user for 10 years. "During that time I got a bachelor's degree. I got a 4.0 in my major while I was smoking marijuana."
Hunter, who played Iago in a recent local production of William Shakespeare's "Othello," noted that he had an extremely long speech in that play.
"I memorized and performed it onstage while I was high. There's a thousand lines of Shakespeare in that," Hunter said. "So I don't really think you can say that it's something that kills your memory."
A handful of people spoke up supporting the idea of a ban or expressing mixed opinions.
"If the county has not made it clear that there is an option to allow us medical marijuana dispensaries, then they have done us a disservice in that respect. We should tell them that we are against the recreational use and the cultivation of marijuana in Kern County, but we should continue with a specified number of properly regulated medical marijuana dispensaries," Mike Neel said.
"I strongly support the letter [backing a county ban]," Bob Parker said.
"I think that our community, especially the law enforcement, cannot afford to have the additional problems of dealing with people are high," said another speaker supporting the ban.
Council backs county ban
Council members expressed sympathy, but in the end voted to back the county in a ban.
"I could never use a well-known human vice as a tool for economic development," Martin said prior to the public comment. He said he supported the letter backing a county ban, but thought the issue should be put to a vote.
"Our citizens should decide this massively controversial issue."
Martin also said he supports medical marijuana use, providing it is highly controlled and regulated.
After the public comment portion of the meeting, Martin said, "I heard everything everyone said. I believe everything everybody said. I am not against anybody with a medical condition finding relief anywhere they can find it. And if it's less expensive and effective then I am in favor of that."
Martin ultimately voted to send the letter supporting the ban to the county, leading to confusion amongst some members of the audience.
"I understand that they [marijuana products] are very good medically, but they are getting into the hands of our children," Councilwoman Lindsey Stephens said.
"I am sympathetic to the people who have come up," Councilman Eddie Thomas said. "But I also have a unique position of dealing with some of the young people who have experienced some of the conditions that have come.
Thomas added, "A lot of them have stated that [marijuana] was the entryway that led them to get involved with [harder drugs]. It's not a tax thing or a money thing with me, its more of a protective thing."
Mayor Pro Tem Michael Mower joked that as the only council member currently sitting there who voted for the casino, "if I vote for marijuana I might as well leave town."
Specifically, council decided to send the county a letter, which reads in part:
"Commercial cannabis operations and legalized marijuana in general, brings a myriad of public safety issues to our community. Public safety is compromised and public health is negatively impacted by these issues. Even if regulation is attempted, commercial cannabis will increase the burden on already overburdened and underfunded law enforcement agencies and stretch the resources of public health and other social service organization. The overall combined impact puts our communities at great risk. The initial economic boost that commercial cannabis operations may bring to Kern County will not cover the true long-term social-economic cost to our community.
"We believe that the only way to prevent a series [sic] degradation in the quality of life in our community is to ban all commercial cannabis operations in the unincorporated areas of Kern County."
The item was approved unanimously by the four council members present. Mayor Peggy Breeden left the meeting prior to the discussion due to health reasons. Mower conducted the remainder of the meeting.
What's next
A similar item regarding cannabis cultivation within city limits is likely to come before council in the near future.
The city of Ridgecrest currently has a medical marijuana sales prohibition in place. City staff members have indicated that at an upcoming meeting, council will be asked to update the municipal code to extend the prohibition to sales and cultivation of recreational marijuana.
According to interim City Manager Ron Strand, staff intends to recommend that council support the suggested municipal code amendment, prohibiting commercial sales and cultivation of marijuana for recreational use.
Levity in council chambers
The agenda item Wednesday led to several moments of levity within council chambers.
"The letter has 'degradation to the quality of life in our city?' You are bringing a casino here!" one man said, leading to a great deal of laughter.
Dave Matthews noted that he has lived a long life without marijuana use.
"I don't think I ever knew really what marijuana smelled like, but I think I can smell it tonight," he said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: City council supports a county cannabis ban - News - Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA - Taft, CA
Author: Jessica Weston
Contact: Contact Us – Gatehouse Media
Photo Credit: Dreamstime
Website: Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Taft, CA