No Medical Marijuana in Tehema County

Pot outlet near Tehama County Sheriff's office nixed

By GEOFF JOHNSON -DN Staff Writer
Updated: 09/26/2009 08:39:41 AM PDT

A proposed marijuana dispensary that would have opened within sight of
the Sheriff's Department headquarters on Antelope Boulevard has been
halted.

The facility would have opened just outside of city limits, putting it
under the jurisdiction of the sheriff and the county, which voted Sept.
16 to ban dispensaries for at least 45 days.

Tehama County Sheriff Clay Parker said Friday he had spoken to what
would have been the dispensary owner and the owner's landlord about the
legal ramifications of the dispensary. The warnings appear to be enough
to stop the project.

Just how the county would deal with such a facility is unclear, though
Undersheriff Dennis Garton has compared the situation to a vehicle
abatement ordinance the county passed. Under the ordinance, the County
Code Enforcement officer, a position the county no longer maintains,
would be tasked with identifying the owner of abandoned cars and serving
the owner a citation.

Garton said he did not know the name of the potential owner.

Both Parker and Tehama County officials have said the county's ban is
supposed to be limited to storefront-style dispensaries, rather than
small collectives that grow marijuana for an exclusive group.

Parker has previously indicated storefront-style dispensaries could face
additional prosecution on a state level.

According to Parker, small collectives that grow marijuana for an
exclusive group of patients are legal under Prop. 215, but not
storefront dispensaries retailing to anyone with a medical marijuana
recommendation, despite dispensaries operating in Corning and Anderson
and local opposition from medical marijuana advocates.

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Staff Writer Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114, or
at gjohnson@redbluffda ilynews.com

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