Robert Celt
New Member
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors approved a ban on commercial medical marijuana delivery services at Tuesday's board meeting and adopted a permit system for private cultivation in code approved structures.
According to county officials, the board considered the amendments to its ordinance after the state Legislature overhauled regulations for the medical marijuana industry.
Richard Simon, director of resource management, said an individual county's own regulations on medical marijuana would not be overruled by the state's new laws. However, if the county did not have its own local permit process, a state board would issue permits.
Passed last year, the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act provides state licensure to cultivate medical marijuana through the state Department of Food and Agriculture.
Tuesday's updates explicitly prohibited commercial transfer of medical marijuana by dispensaries and the adoption of a permit process obtained from resource management.
Supervisor Bill Schappell asked Simon what it would cost to acquire a permit to build a code-approved structure, as some in opposition of the ordinance spoke about the high costs associated with growing medical marijuana under the county's regulations.
Simon said the permit itself is not expensive, but the building of a code-approved structure could be costly with materials and other variables, such as location on a property and a proper ventilation system.
Schappell asked whether there have been many people applying for structure permits to grow medical marijuana. Simon said it was difficult to determine the number and said people are not volunteering that information when applying for a building permit.
Cathy Grindstaff with Shasta County Chemical People said the updates are a good thing all around, adding county officials answered all the questions she had on the issue.
"I'd call the amendments a fine tuning of the ordinance," Grindstaff said.
The zoning ordinance is the latest addition in the county's regulations on medical marijuana, beginning with the 2011 prohibition of dispensaries in unincorporated areas of the county. In 2014 supervisors adopted an ordinance restricting private cultivation to detached structures built to certain specifications.
Sally Rogers, of Shasta Lake, felt her comment on the benefits of medical marijuana for her own symptoms with severe allergies went unheard, as the county held three public hearings on the ordinance.
"I feel that it's a day late and a dollar short. It felt sad to hear," Rogers said of the board's decision.
Rogers said she hasn't used a delivery service for medical marijuana, instead obtaining it from one of two collectives in Shasta Lake, the only places for qualified medical marijuana patients to receive their medicine in Shasta County. Rogers said her domestic partner also uses medical marijuana for pain associated with severe allergies and would require a delivery service if Rogers was not there to help her.
The supervisors approved a second ordinance on Tuesday addressing honey oil labs. The new law regulates the sales of butane, used to manufacture concentrated cannabis, also known as honey oil.
County officials said Redding and Shasta Lake are also considering similar ordinances.
The process to make honey oil can result in explosions and chemical fires, as the butane is odorless and can be easily ignited.
The county's ordinance is similar to one Anderson passed last year. The county's ordinance tracks the sale of refined butane canisters and prohibits the sale of more than 600 ml in one transaction. Anderson's ordinance prohibits the sale of more than two 300 ml canister.
Supervisor Leonard Moty said he agrees with what the ordinance is setting out to accomplish, but said this will not stop the honey oil fires, comparing the issue to the manufacturing of methamphetamine with certain types of cough syrup.
Violators of the ordinance would be charged with a misdemeanor.
Both ordinances the county passed on Tuesday will go to in effect in 30 days.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CA: Supervisors Regulate Medical Marijuana, Butane Sales
Author: Nathan Solis
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Record Searchlight
According to county officials, the board considered the amendments to its ordinance after the state Legislature overhauled regulations for the medical marijuana industry.
Richard Simon, director of resource management, said an individual county's own regulations on medical marijuana would not be overruled by the state's new laws. However, if the county did not have its own local permit process, a state board would issue permits.
Passed last year, the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act provides state licensure to cultivate medical marijuana through the state Department of Food and Agriculture.
Tuesday's updates explicitly prohibited commercial transfer of medical marijuana by dispensaries and the adoption of a permit process obtained from resource management.
Supervisor Bill Schappell asked Simon what it would cost to acquire a permit to build a code-approved structure, as some in opposition of the ordinance spoke about the high costs associated with growing medical marijuana under the county's regulations.
Simon said the permit itself is not expensive, but the building of a code-approved structure could be costly with materials and other variables, such as location on a property and a proper ventilation system.
Schappell asked whether there have been many people applying for structure permits to grow medical marijuana. Simon said it was difficult to determine the number and said people are not volunteering that information when applying for a building permit.
Cathy Grindstaff with Shasta County Chemical People said the updates are a good thing all around, adding county officials answered all the questions she had on the issue.
"I'd call the amendments a fine tuning of the ordinance," Grindstaff said.
The zoning ordinance is the latest addition in the county's regulations on medical marijuana, beginning with the 2011 prohibition of dispensaries in unincorporated areas of the county. In 2014 supervisors adopted an ordinance restricting private cultivation to detached structures built to certain specifications.
Sally Rogers, of Shasta Lake, felt her comment on the benefits of medical marijuana for her own symptoms with severe allergies went unheard, as the county held three public hearings on the ordinance.
"I feel that it's a day late and a dollar short. It felt sad to hear," Rogers said of the board's decision.
Rogers said she hasn't used a delivery service for medical marijuana, instead obtaining it from one of two collectives in Shasta Lake, the only places for qualified medical marijuana patients to receive their medicine in Shasta County. Rogers said her domestic partner also uses medical marijuana for pain associated with severe allergies and would require a delivery service if Rogers was not there to help her.
The supervisors approved a second ordinance on Tuesday addressing honey oil labs. The new law regulates the sales of butane, used to manufacture concentrated cannabis, also known as honey oil.
County officials said Redding and Shasta Lake are also considering similar ordinances.
The process to make honey oil can result in explosions and chemical fires, as the butane is odorless and can be easily ignited.
The county's ordinance is similar to one Anderson passed last year. The county's ordinance tracks the sale of refined butane canisters and prohibits the sale of more than 600 ml in one transaction. Anderson's ordinance prohibits the sale of more than two 300 ml canister.
Supervisor Leonard Moty said he agrees with what the ordinance is setting out to accomplish, but said this will not stop the honey oil fires, comparing the issue to the manufacturing of methamphetamine with certain types of cough syrup.
Violators of the ordinance would be charged with a misdemeanor.
Both ordinances the county passed on Tuesday will go to in effect in 30 days.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CA: Supervisors Regulate Medical Marijuana, Butane Sales
Author: Nathan Solis
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Record Searchlight
