LAKE COUNTY — The process to get an initiative measure regarding medical marijuana cultivation before local voters took a step forward this week, and volunteers plan to begin collecting signatures next week.
Two groups, the Lake County Citizens for Responsible Regulations (LCCRR) and Lake County Green Farmers Association, submitted an initiative proposal on Nov. 4 in an effort to replace and repeal an ordinance passed by the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) in October.
The advocates want the voters to decide what regulations should be implemented, and they”ve drafted a new ordinance, “The Lake County Medical Marijuana Cultivation Act of 2012,” to potentially appear on the ballot.
On Monday, County Counsel Anita Grant moved the initiative process forward by submitting an official ballot title and summary for the proposal to the Registrar of Voters” Office.
The proponents picked up copies of those documents later that day, according to Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley.
Supporters of the proposal must next publish a notice of intention to circulate a petition, and the ballot title and summary. Those items appear in today”s Record-Bee Classified section.
The proponents then have to provide proof of publication to Fridley”s office, which can”t occur until next week because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Once the affidavit is filed, the groups could begin collecting signatures, Fridley said.
The advocates would then have until Dec. 22 to circulate the petition and gather a minimum of 2,115 signatures from registered Lake County voters in time to qualify for the June ballot, Fridley said.
“We”ll have no problem getting the numbers that we need,” LCCRR representative Don Merrill said. “We will achieve our goals.”
If the advocates submit signatures, Fridley would then have to verify that 2,115 are valid. Should that occur, she would submit a certification of her count to the BOS.
The BOS would then have to decide whether to adopt the new ordinance without any changes or put the issue before the voters.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
