In an effort to boost revenues and streamline policing and compliance of gardens, Sheriff Tom Allman's proposed medical marijuana zip tie program will be in front of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors at a special meeting on Monday.
If passed in its current form by the board, all applicants for zip-ties would be required to present a state-issued medical marijuana card or a valid medical recommendation.
Allman said the plastic ties would be imprinted with the words "Mendocino County MMP" (Medical Marijuana Program) and an attached serial number that would then be tied to the base of adult plants.
"My recommendation is $25 a piece with a lower price, $12.50, for Medicare patients," he said. "A zip tie acts like a prescription bottle. Whereas before deputies would spend three hours investigating a marijuana garden, now they'll be able to do that in five minutes. Before legal patients were concerned that, What if I'm gone? Will the cops take my marijuana?' With this they don't have to worry about that. This serial number will speak for them. This is the identification mark for this."
Allman said that with the traditional start of the growing season beginning on the same day the issue of the zip ties goes in front of the board, timing was paramount to the successful implementation of the program.
"If we do encounter counterfeit zip ties we may confiscate that marijuana," he said. "If this goes through Monday I would hope it would be available mid-May." said his office had distributed 1,500 test zip ties in 2007 as trial run for the program, but that due to concerns about privacy of medical records as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) the ties would be sold elsewhere.
"People this year are only going to be able to get six zip ties unless their doctor recommends more," he said. "What we are recommending to the board is that the zip ties be sold by the Public Health Department. Law enforcement will not know the names of who get zip ties. I don't want to know."
Allman said other sheriffs around the state had initially been skeptical of the idea, but with the evolution of the program opinions were turning.
"Three years ago when we first offered this some of the other sheriff's snickered," he said. "But now, zip ties are going to be something other counties are going to look at. If this is successful, other counties could view this as a model."
Allman said that the zip ties would replace the need for patients to post their doctor's recommendation outside their garden.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea if they had more than six plants to post their recommendation inside the garden," he said. "Also, in the past, we've had incidents where posting recommendations outside attracted thieves."
Allman said no fewer than 50 legitimate medical marijuana patients had expressed an interest in the program this year.
"People want to be in compliance," he said. "We want to educate legitimate patients, people who are not growing medical marijuana and we need to educate the cops in this county. It's confusing. This evolution has taken 13 years."
Allman said that the money earned from the sale of the zip ties would go to fund both a half-time Public Health Department employee, with the rest ending up in the general fund.
"If we can get the laws in check, if we can stop the abuse of the commercial growers, we can get marijuana off the front page," he said.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Ukiah Daily Journal
Author: ROB BURGESS
Contact: The Ukiah Daily Journal
Copyright: 2009 - Ukiah Daily Journal
Website: Sheriff And Supes To Talk Zip Ties Monday
If passed in its current form by the board, all applicants for zip-ties would be required to present a state-issued medical marijuana card or a valid medical recommendation.
Allman said the plastic ties would be imprinted with the words "Mendocino County MMP" (Medical Marijuana Program) and an attached serial number that would then be tied to the base of adult plants.
"My recommendation is $25 a piece with a lower price, $12.50, for Medicare patients," he said. "A zip tie acts like a prescription bottle. Whereas before deputies would spend three hours investigating a marijuana garden, now they'll be able to do that in five minutes. Before legal patients were concerned that, What if I'm gone? Will the cops take my marijuana?' With this they don't have to worry about that. This serial number will speak for them. This is the identification mark for this."
Allman said that with the traditional start of the growing season beginning on the same day the issue of the zip ties goes in front of the board, timing was paramount to the successful implementation of the program.
"If we do encounter counterfeit zip ties we may confiscate that marijuana," he said. "If this goes through Monday I would hope it would be available mid-May." said his office had distributed 1,500 test zip ties in 2007 as trial run for the program, but that due to concerns about privacy of medical records as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) the ties would be sold elsewhere.
"People this year are only going to be able to get six zip ties unless their doctor recommends more," he said. "What we are recommending to the board is that the zip ties be sold by the Public Health Department. Law enforcement will not know the names of who get zip ties. I don't want to know."
Allman said other sheriffs around the state had initially been skeptical of the idea, but with the evolution of the program opinions were turning.
"Three years ago when we first offered this some of the other sheriff's snickered," he said. "But now, zip ties are going to be something other counties are going to look at. If this is successful, other counties could view this as a model."
Allman said that the zip ties would replace the need for patients to post their doctor's recommendation outside their garden.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea if they had more than six plants to post their recommendation inside the garden," he said. "Also, in the past, we've had incidents where posting recommendations outside attracted thieves."
Allman said no fewer than 50 legitimate medical marijuana patients had expressed an interest in the program this year.
"People want to be in compliance," he said. "We want to educate legitimate patients, people who are not growing medical marijuana and we need to educate the cops in this county. It's confusing. This evolution has taken 13 years."
Allman said that the money earned from the sale of the zip ties would go to fund both a half-time Public Health Department employee, with the rest ending up in the general fund.
"If we can get the laws in check, if we can stop the abuse of the commercial growers, we can get marijuana off the front page," he said.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Ukiah Daily Journal
Author: ROB BURGESS
Contact: The Ukiah Daily Journal
Copyright: 2009 - Ukiah Daily Journal
Website: Sheriff And Supes To Talk Zip Ties Monday
