SHASTA LAKE, CA – Developing regulations governing the cultivation of medical marijuana within the city, including possibly requiring a permit, is the focus of a Thursday Shasta Lake Planning Commission meeting.
Although Development Services Director Carla L. Thompson says no formal action will be taken, she said planners hope the meeting will bring out those who support marijuana cultivation as well as those who have concerns about it.
Thompson said in an administrative report that the City Council last month directed the Planning Commission to establish recommended marijuana cultivation guidelines for council consideration.
She said the regulations are necessary to protect the legal rights of those authorized under state law to grow pot, as well as to "protect the health, safety and welfare of the community and the rights of neighboring property owners."
Thompson noted that the city received several complaints last fall from some residents who complained about the strong odor of marijuana in their neighborhoods. She said the growing plants can affect the health and safety of neighborhood residents.
For example, her report said, the strong odors make it easier to identify the location of the plants, "thereby creating an increased risk of crime."
For indoor cultivation, she added, an excessive use of electricity is sometimes needed, which could create a fire hazard.
Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, did not include limits on the permissible quantity of medical marijuana a qualified patient could possess, and a California Supreme Court ruling last month reinforced that act.
That ruling eliminated any legal limits on the quantity of medical marijuana that a qualified patient or primary caregiver may legally possess or cultivate.
"Because the city is not proposing to limit the amount of marijuana a qualified patient can possess but is merely developing regulations to protect the health and safety of individuals residing in the community, the proposed regulations do not conflict with current state law," Thompson wrote in her report.
Issues that may be addressed in the pending marijuana cultivation ordinance include permit requirements for cultivation, limitations on the size and location of marijuana gardens and screening/security requirements for outdoor gardens
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Redding Record Searchlight
Author: Jim Schultz
Contact: Redding Record Searchlight
Copyright: 2010 The E.W. Scripps Co
Website:Shasta Lake planners seek comments on possible medical marijuana restrictions
Although Development Services Director Carla L. Thompson says no formal action will be taken, she said planners hope the meeting will bring out those who support marijuana cultivation as well as those who have concerns about it.
Thompson said in an administrative report that the City Council last month directed the Planning Commission to establish recommended marijuana cultivation guidelines for council consideration.
She said the regulations are necessary to protect the legal rights of those authorized under state law to grow pot, as well as to "protect the health, safety and welfare of the community and the rights of neighboring property owners."
Thompson noted that the city received several complaints last fall from some residents who complained about the strong odor of marijuana in their neighborhoods. She said the growing plants can affect the health and safety of neighborhood residents.
For example, her report said, the strong odors make it easier to identify the location of the plants, "thereby creating an increased risk of crime."
For indoor cultivation, she added, an excessive use of electricity is sometimes needed, which could create a fire hazard.
Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, did not include limits on the permissible quantity of medical marijuana a qualified patient could possess, and a California Supreme Court ruling last month reinforced that act.
That ruling eliminated any legal limits on the quantity of medical marijuana that a qualified patient or primary caregiver may legally possess or cultivate.
"Because the city is not proposing to limit the amount of marijuana a qualified patient can possess but is merely developing regulations to protect the health and safety of individuals residing in the community, the proposed regulations do not conflict with current state law," Thompson wrote in her report.
Issues that may be addressed in the pending marijuana cultivation ordinance include permit requirements for cultivation, limitations on the size and location of marijuana gardens and screening/security requirements for outdoor gardens
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Redding Record Searchlight
Author: Jim Schultz
Contact: Redding Record Searchlight
Copyright: 2010 The E.W. Scripps Co
Website:Shasta Lake planners seek comments on possible medical marijuana restrictions
