Lake Forrest Medical Marijuana News

Pro-pot crowd plans rally at Lake Forest council meeting

The city two weeks ago filed complaints against more than 35 people
linked to 14 citywide pot dispensaries.

By ERIKA I. RITCHIE
The Orange County Register
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

LAKE FOREST – More than 500 medical marijuana proponents say they
are planning to rally at tonight's Lake Forest City Council meeting.

The group – made up of representatives for patients with cancer,
AIDS, chronic pain and nerve issues also includes advocacy groups like
Medical Marijuana Inc. and OC NORML. They are hopeful of changing the
city's direction in the wake of its recent legal efforts to remove at
least 10 pot dispensaries now operating in some of the city's strip
malls.

"We want to be part of the solution," said Clayton Taylor, who
represents the Foothill Ranch-based OC Weedly.com – a high-profile
medical marijuana magazine. "We want to stop Lake Forest from spending
taxpayer money on these lawsuits. We want them to legitimize medical
marijuana and keep it in the city. We want the medical marijuana
community to help and give solutions to take away the gray areas."

Taylor, whose magazine offices are located within a medical marijuana
dispensary in a medial plaza in Foothill Ranch, says the dispensary and
many other legitimized groups require doctor's prescriptions and ID's to
receive any cannabis-containing item like cookies, pizza, soda, suckers
and granola bars.

He and others expected to rally are not in favor of shops that aren't
medically operated and don't have stringent requirements. Many of these
types, he adds, could pose hazards to patients who go there and may
likely be in unsafe areas.

God's Green Earth Corp., a medical marijuana dispensary, sees more than
100 patients a day. Most of them, Taylor said, suffer from chronic
conditions like pain, depression, AIDs and cancer. Everyone who gets pot
there must provide a doctor's recommendation and an ID. Each transaction
is recorded and those with medical marijuana cards are in 24-hour
searchable database.

Taylor hopes that the rally can help start a community conversation.

"As it becomes more mainstream, it's important we are part of the
community," he said.

On Sept. 1 the Lake Forest City Council announced that it had filed
civil complaints against 35 people associated with 14 medical marijuana
dispensaries in the city and called on immediate prosecution and
abatement of the storefronts.

"We will initiate prosecution against the operators and landlords of
these dispensaries operating in violation of federal law and violation
of the city's zoning code," said City Attorney Scott Smith. "They are
not permitted in any area of the city."

The complaints are the first step in the city's ultimate goal of
permanently shutting down these shops. The city's municipal code
prohibits uses not explicitly allowed in commercial areas and prohibits
businesses that violate state and federal law.

The City Council has taken no position on the use of medical marijuana
for personal use by seriously ill people where the medical use is deemed
appropriate by a physician, officials said.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m in City Hall, 25550
Commercentre Dr.

Contact the writer: 949-454-7307 or eritchie@ocregister .com

http://www.ocregist er.com/articles/ city-medical- marijuana- 2566949-lake- f\
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