LAKEPORT — After three scheduled discussions between the the Lake County Board of Supervisors and community members, the board has decided not to implement an ordinance regulating where and how medical marijuana can be grown at least until next growing season.
The main discussion on this issued centered around whether to require that medicinal marijuana be grown indoors only or if raising fences would be adequate to shield the growing plants from public view.
Board Chair Anthony Farrington said at the end of this past Tuesday”s discussion that he had recently spoken with the county”s director of Health Services, Jim Brown, who said they were considering a medical marijuana card program for the county.
The Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program was designed to provide patients an identification card. That card could be used as evidence that they had received a recommendation from their physician to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, according to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS).
Additionally, CDHS officials say the card can assist law enforcement officials in determining whether an individual using marijuana meets the requirements of the state”s Compassionate Use Act, which says that with the recommendation of a physician, a patient may obtain and use marijuana for personal medical purposes.
Farrington asked District 3 Supervisor Gary Lewis who brought the discussion before the board if he had considered the impact to the Code Enforcement Division if an ordinance was enacted.
“I”m not looking to hammer anybody,” Lewis explained.
Lewis said he had received some complaints from residents about the marijuana odor and possible criminal activity.
He recommended holding the ordinance over until the Health Services Department brought the ID card program before the board.
“It might be a good idea to have an advisory committee with members from the Health Department and the medical marijuana community to come up with recommendations,” District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey said. “Then we can implement an ordinance and have it in effect for the next growing season.”
The issue will come back before the board at some time in the future, but at this time, an ordinance is not being drafted or considered.
Contact Terre Logsdon at tlogsdon@record-bee.com.
