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The420Guy
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He allows full board to consider medical marijuana plan
Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty has blasted a proposal by a
colleague to issue medical marijuana identification cards, calling it a
"half-baked ordinance."
Haggerty strenuously opposed Supervisor Nate Miley's proposed ordinance
because he said "this is setting people up for attorney's fees, nights in
jail and false hopes."
Haggerty said if people with medical marijuana cards are pulled over by
Fremont police and found with the drug, there's no assurance they wouldn't
be booked into jail.
"I'm not going to create my own Mr. Ed Rosenthal," he said, referring to
the case of the Oakland man who recently was convicted of three felonies
and faces up to 85 years in prison, although he was growing marijuana as an
officer for the city of Oakland for medical marijuana users.
Haggerty made his comments Monday at the board's Public Protection
Committee, which he chairs. Haggerty initially vowed to let Miley's
proposal die in committee, but later relented and agreed to send it to the
full board without a committee recommendation.
Joe DeVries, field director for Miley, said Tuesday police who seize a
medical marijuana user's drug could face civil action for confiscating
property, false arrest and denying a sick person his or her medicine.
Angel McClary-Raich, an Oakland medical marijuana patient who uses nine
pounds of pot a year to treat her health problems, said the identification
cards would "help us feel safe," although she conceded they wouldn't help
with the federal government.
Voters in California approved Prop. 215, which allows the use of marijuana
for medical purposes. However, federal law bans possession or use of
marijuana, even for medical reasons.
Although eight county police chiefs and the sheriff have said they wouldn't
honor the identification cards, DeVries noted that the police would have to
abide by whatever their city councils decided.
DeVries bristled at Haggerty's characterization of the ordinance, saying
the County Counsel's Office had drafted it by incorporating similar
regulations from San Francisco and Marin County, as well as San Diego. He
said the card also would help legitimize medical marijuana use with an
employer, loved one or potential in-law.
Board President Gail Steele, the other Public Protection Committee member,
also said she didn't think Miley's ordinance was ready to go to the full
board, although she didn't feel as strongly about the matter as Haggerty.
The card debate has not been scheduled before the board.
Steele has been bothered by potential abuses by caretakers who might grow
and then supply pot to others besides the ill person. DeVries offered a
compromise to respond to her concern, saying Miley was willing to consider
limiting the number of caregivers per patient to two or three, or whatever
the public health department deemed was the right number. Under the
proposal, the public health department would oversee the program, which
would be run by an outside agency.
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Feb 2003
Source: Oakland Tribune, The (CA)
Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
Contact: triblet@angnewspapers.com
Website: East Bay Times - Contra Costa and Alameda county news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and commentary
Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty has blasted a proposal by a
colleague to issue medical marijuana identification cards, calling it a
"half-baked ordinance."
Haggerty strenuously opposed Supervisor Nate Miley's proposed ordinance
because he said "this is setting people up for attorney's fees, nights in
jail and false hopes."
Haggerty said if people with medical marijuana cards are pulled over by
Fremont police and found with the drug, there's no assurance they wouldn't
be booked into jail.
"I'm not going to create my own Mr. Ed Rosenthal," he said, referring to
the case of the Oakland man who recently was convicted of three felonies
and faces up to 85 years in prison, although he was growing marijuana as an
officer for the city of Oakland for medical marijuana users.
Haggerty made his comments Monday at the board's Public Protection
Committee, which he chairs. Haggerty initially vowed to let Miley's
proposal die in committee, but later relented and agreed to send it to the
full board without a committee recommendation.
Joe DeVries, field director for Miley, said Tuesday police who seize a
medical marijuana user's drug could face civil action for confiscating
property, false arrest and denying a sick person his or her medicine.
Angel McClary-Raich, an Oakland medical marijuana patient who uses nine
pounds of pot a year to treat her health problems, said the identification
cards would "help us feel safe," although she conceded they wouldn't help
with the federal government.
Voters in California approved Prop. 215, which allows the use of marijuana
for medical purposes. However, federal law bans possession or use of
marijuana, even for medical reasons.
Although eight county police chiefs and the sheriff have said they wouldn't
honor the identification cards, DeVries noted that the police would have to
abide by whatever their city councils decided.
DeVries bristled at Haggerty's characterization of the ordinance, saying
the County Counsel's Office had drafted it by incorporating similar
regulations from San Francisco and Marin County, as well as San Diego. He
said the card also would help legitimize medical marijuana use with an
employer, loved one or potential in-law.
Board President Gail Steele, the other Public Protection Committee member,
also said she didn't think Miley's ordinance was ready to go to the full
board, although she didn't feel as strongly about the matter as Haggerty.
The card debate has not been scheduled before the board.
Steele has been bothered by potential abuses by caretakers who might grow
and then supply pot to others besides the ill person. DeVries offered a
compromise to respond to her concern, saying Miley was willing to consider
limiting the number of caregivers per patient to two or three, or whatever
the public health department deemed was the right number. Under the
proposal, the public health department would oversee the program, which
would be run by an outside agency.
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Feb 2003
Source: Oakland Tribune, The (CA)
Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
Contact: triblet@angnewspapers.com
Website: East Bay Times - Contra Costa and Alameda county news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and commentary