Supes may put brakes on medicinal pot

"We're not going to let teenagers walk in with a note. We don't want to
have this happen and see it become a neighborhood problem." Sheriff Don
Horsley San Mateo County

By Mark Adams
STAFF Writer

REDWOOD CITY County supervisors will consider a temporary ban on
distributing marijuana for medical purposes in unincorporated areas of The
County while the county looks at zoning and legal worries about the service.

The proposed ban, prompted by a recent inquiry about opening a medicinal
marijuana dispensary, is to be considered by the supervisors at their
Tuesday meeting.

Sheriff Don Horsley said Friday he has several concerns. Although medical
use of marijuana with the consent of a doctor was approved by voters last
November under Proposition 215, Horsley said, transportation of the drug
remains illegal and federal marijuana laws are still in place.

Salvador Garcia, the San Francisco man who wants to open a dispensary, said
the county is overly worried about the service. Gambling. adult video
arcades and bars are permitted in The County and "a medicinal marijuana
dispensary is even less likely to bring in crime. "it's just burning me up.
It's amazing," he said.

But Horsely saidThe County need to find out from the state Attorney General
how the law will be interpreted. how the marijuana would get to the
dispensary and who is entitled to it.

"We're not going to let teenagers walk in with a note. We don't want to
have this happen and see it become a neighborhood problem."

Garcia approached the county two months ago with a request to open a
dispensary in an existing building on Middlefield Road in North Fair Oaks.

Garcia said Friday that plan fell through.

However, he said he would still like to open what would be the first
dispensary in The County because there is none in the midPeninsula area.

He said the dispensary would be for distribution of marijuana to adults
only with the consent of a doctor.

As well, no use of the drug would be allowed on the premises.

Garcia is a member of the Cannabis Coalition and said he helped draft an
ordinance regulating such operations in Berkeley.

He said he doesn't understand the opposition he is facing for doing
something the state's voters support.

The supervisors will consider an initial 45day ban, which could be
extended up to a year while zoning restrictions are established.

Garcia said he is willing to work with county officials to develop
regulations during the 45day period, but if the effort is unsuccessful it
will mean politics are being put ahead of ill patients.

Paul Koenig, director of county Environmental Services Agency, said the
county needs more time to assess the possible repercussions or having
marijuana dispensary and how best to regulate one.

Existing zoning doesn't cover such businesses, he said. 'there's no track
record for this."

The County will look at how other jurisdictions have dealt with the issue.

From there The County will come up with a reasoned approach, he said.

"We're not dealing with whether marijuana is good, bad or otherwise," he said.

"We're simply trying to deal with the planning aspects of this."