Marijuana in the News
What is Measure B
& why is it needed?
Measure B - Listen online
Yes on Measure B / KMEC - 04.15.08
Measure B debate / Ukiah City Council - 04.14.08
No on Measure B / KMEC - 04.08.08
Measure B - Listen online
Yes on Measure B / KMEC - 04.15.08
Measure B debate / Ukiah City Council - 04.14.08
No on Measure B / KMEC - 04.08.08
Please visit the Save Mendocino County Blog
for current news, information, & discussion on Yes On B
=> *** News of interest *** <=
----- YES on Measure B Coalition -----
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News Release - May 13, 2008 Sheriff Allman endorses Measure B
"It is the right thing to do for Mendocino County.
I urge the voters to vote for Measure B."
--Sheriff Tom Allman
Today the sheriff's office issued this press release:
PRESS RELEASE
May 12, 2008
For Immediate Release
TO: News Media
FROM: Sheriff Tom Allman
MEASURE B
Ukiah, CA--Since the beginning of Measure B, I have consistently taken a neutral position. I have stated repeatedly, "It is my job to enforce the law and I will abide by the will of the voters in Mendocino County." I have offered an open door to both sides of this initiative and have met with both sides on several occasions. I have provided all necessary information upon request. I have strived to remain neutral on the ballot initiative for the purpose of allowing the voters to decide the final decision.
Today, without my knowledge or permission, the opponents of Measure B sent out a campaign mailer that includes my uniformed picture and a quote from me. First, they have taken the quote attributed to me out of context. Second, by doing so they are implying that I am opposed to Measure B.
Because of this misrepresentation, I can no longer remain neutral. As your Sheriff, I will abide by the decision the voters will make on June 3rd. As a resident of Mendocino County, I cannot allow any misrepresentation of my personal position on an issue as important as Measure B to continue.
The investigation of violent crimes, the eradication of large commercial marijuana gardens and combating methamphetamine will remain top priorities for the Mendocno County Sheriff's Office.
Today, I lend my name and full support to the passage of Measure B. It is the right thing to do for Mendocino County.
I urge the voters to vote and vote for Measure B.
Media inquires should be directed to Sheriff Allman at (707) 463-4085. -
NEWS RELEASE - April 30, 2008
District Attorney Meredith Lintott endorses Measure B
Meredith Lintott issued the following statement April 30:
Today I am announcing my endorsement for Measure B. I do so because Measure B is consistent with the protection of the rights of legitimate medical marijuana patients and will provide consistency in the law which will greatly assist in the successful prosecution of commercial growers.As a candidate for District Attorney I pledged to protect the rights of medical marijuana patients and caregivers. I also said I would prosecute those who abuse the protections given to medical marijuana as a cover for commercial growing.
As District Attorney, it is obvious to me that Measure G has become a barrier that greatly complicates the prosecution of solid cases, even where there is overwhelming evidence of commercial cultivation, possession, transportation and sales. The defense attorneys never fail to cite Measure G as a defense for those charged with violating the laws against commercial marijuana. This is true even for the largest growing operations.
Measure G was widely considered to be an advisory measure when it passed, but was later codified as part of the Mendocino County Code. More recently the Board adopted the 25 plant limit from Measure G as the standard for the County, although there is some question whether or not the action of the Board adequately covered all the legal bases.
Measure G, if it is law at all, is bad law because it is internally inconsistent and its major provisions are of dubious legality. Most significantly, it is in direct conflict with state law and defense attorneys are skillful at emphasizing conflicts in the law in order to create doubt on the part of jurors.
As a prosecutor, Measure B will make my job easier by providing consistency in the law. I also believe the state limits protect the rights of medical patients and therefore no legitimate medical patient will suffer if Measure B passes. Otherwise, I would not support Measure B. The current situation threatens to create a backlash that would undermine support for legitimate medical marijuana.
I will accept the passage of Measure B as a mandate from the public to focus marijuana enforcement and prosecution activities on the large commercial growers and those that are endangering public safety and harming the environment. I will also challenge the public to support adequate funding for enforcement and prosecution so that Sheriff Allman and I can carry out the mandate of the public to go after the commercial growers that are harming our county and our environment.
Meredith J. Lintott
District Attorney -
NEWS RELEASE - March 27, 2008
A last-minute lawsuit filed yesterday by opponents of Measure B seeks a court order to remove it from the June ballot, but is destined to fail, according to Yes on B Coalition spokesman, Ross Liberty.
"The opponents won't be able to block a vote on Measure B because there are no legal grounds to do so. Measure B was drafted by the county counsel, at the direction of the Board of Supervisors, and meets all legal requirements. The opponents waited 2-1/2 months to file this lawsuit. It is a blatant attempt to circumvent the right of the people to decide this critical issue," said Liberty.
"The opponents of Measure B are trying to prevent voters from taking a stand against marijuana abuses that cause a public nuisance, endanger public safety and trash the environment," said Liberty.
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NEWS RELEASE - March 26, 2008
On March 26, 2008, Laura Hamburg of the No On Measure B Coalition issued a press release accusing the Yes On B Coalition of "mounting a challenge" demanding the removal of Marsha Wharff as a signer on their ballot pamphlet rebuttal argument.
Hamburg also claimed that David Colfax's title as county supervisor was deleted from the ballot argument due to a challenge by the Yes On B Coalition.Both accusations are false. The Yes On B Coalition had no role in the decisions by county officials to enforce state law on these matters.
For confirmation, contact County Counsel Jeanine Nadel.
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Fort Bragg City Council endorses Measure B on 4-1 vote
On Monday night, March 24, the Fort Bragg City Council accepted a recommendation from its Public Safety Committee and voted to endorse Measure B, which appears on the June ballot in Mendocino County.
Councilman Jere Melo made the motion, seconded by Dave Turner. Other "aye" votes were Dan Gjerde and Meg Courtney. The only dissent was from Doug Hammerstrom.
- Yes On B Coalition challenges the opposition:
"Tell the Truth about Sheriff Allman's position"
Sheriff Tom Allman is neither for nor against Measure B and does not say it would be a burden on law enforcement, contrary to the false impression being spread by the opponents to the Mendocino County ballot measure.
In fact, Sheriff Allman has made a statement that affirms: "Investigating violent crime will remain our top priority."
"The No On B Coalition took Sheriff Allman's words out of context and misled the voters," according to Yes On B Coalition spokesman Ross Liberty.
"We intend to wage a campaign based on the facts and we challenge the opposition to do the same," said Liberty.
In an article published by the Press Democrat on March 11 (click here) , Allman stated that the remarks quoted by No On B were taken out of context and that he was not taking a position on Measure B. Nevertheless, the No On Measure B Coalition issued a press release March 12 that repeated the identical misleading characterization of Allman's position. Sheriff Allman signed a statement [photocopy of signed original attached via fax] on March 11 that clarifies his position.
Full text of statement:
"As Sheriff, I have not and will not take a position on Measure B. It is my job to enforce the law, not make it. I support legitimate medical marijuana. I oppose commercial cultivation and sales of marijuana. Measure B will not change our focus. Investigating violent crime will remain our top priority. We do not, and will not, target small grows. We will continue to focus on large grows and complaints about growers who create a public nuisance, endanger public safety or trash the environment. Although I will not take a position on Measure B, I will say that Mendocino County will be a better spot when marijuana is not on the front page every day."
The Yes On B Coalition has provided this statement to the No On Measure B Coalition and asked that they quit misleading the public into believing Sheriff Allman has taken a position against Measure B or that he believes it will "burden law enforcement."
"All Measure B does is repeal Measure G which conflicts with state law, and adopts the state medical marijuana standards. Measure B will help law enforcement and patients by providing one standard so that everyone knows what to expect," said Liberty.
Measure B has two provisions:
(1) that the limit for medical marijuana users and primary caregivers will be the same as that provided in state law--6 mature plants, 12 immature plants, and 8 ounces of dried marijuana or more if recommended by a physician, and
(2) that Measure G (November 2000) is repealed, thereby removing the direction to the sheriff and district attorney to make enforcement of all marijuana laws the lowest priority and to not take any action on cases of 25 plants or less.
"Measure B will help put a stop to the fraudulent use of medical marijuana caregiver cards as a cover for the massive production of commercial marijuana for profit," said Liberty.
"There is a crisis throughout Mendocino County caused by a huge increase in commercial marijuana growing, much of it in residential neighborhoods, that has caused severe impacts on public safety, the environment, and our children," said Liberty.
- Willlits News, February 27, 2008:
"Armed robbery of pot-grow residences appears to be a growing problem in the north county as well, according to police sources, even if most are not being reported. 'It is becoming well known in the Bay Area that you can drive up to Mendocino County and drive to the end of any dirt road until you come to a house and those inside will have pot and money,' says one officer.'"
- Letter of resignation from Mendocino Medical Marijuana Advisory Board:
This is my letter of resignation from the M.M.M.A.B.
I joined the Board in hopes of being able to implement the "Good Neighbor Policy" in the City of Ukiah. However, the large amounts of time and energy for code-criminal enforcement last fall by city staff indicates that many growers could care less.
I will be advocating and voting for the repeal of Measure G.
You know me to be a fair and reasonable individual but I can not support your campaign against the repeal.
Sincerely yours,
Judy PrudenUkiah
2/15/08
- Letter to Editor by former Sheriff Craver:
Editor:
For the most part I was pleased to read Part One of Connie Korbel's three-part series on Measure G in the Mendocino Beacon. I don't know where Ms. Korbel got her information when she wrote that Norm Vroman and I supported Measure G because we certainly did not. We campaigned vigorously against it. We sat on panels at public forums, talk radio shows, were quoted in news articles where we spoke out against it, all of which must be archived somewhere accessible. The problem I come away with is that since she got that part wrong, how credible is the rest of it?
The marijuana situation in Mendocino County is clearly out of hand and it is no surprise, but there is no quick fix. The problem stems from Proposition 215 and Measure G where people bought into the hype that they heard from advocates of the measure and voted for them because what they heard from the opposition sounded like something out of "Reefer Madness."
In 1996 law enforcement and a handful of conservatives spoke out against Prop 215 because it obviously had no clear controls or limitations. Prop 215 which became Health and Safety Code section 11362.5, essentially says that the code sections criminalizing cultivation and possession of marijuana "shall not apply" to any person suffering from a serious illness for which a California physician has recommended the use of marijuana. The code doesn't define serious illness but leaves it to the sole discretion of the physician.
It was obvious to law enforcement that we would have even less effect on the marijuana situation than we had at the time. Unfortunately, on one hand there was law enforcement saying this would be very very bad for us and on the other hand there were people saying why shouldn't some little old person dying from cancer use a little dope to help them through the end stage of life? That's like taking a little kid to a pet store and asking them to choose between a cute little kitten and a big snarling pit bull.
We didn't want it but we were stuck with it as the will of the people that then became the law that we had to serve. Norm and I tried to find a sensible way to balance the rights of the protected people with the ongoing need to try to keep the criminal element in check. We couldn't very well just say we don't agree with this so we are going to ignore it and just arrest people anyway. Sparse as it is, the law is the law.
Along came Measure G and we heard that people were tired of us spending millions and millions of dollars on overfilling our prisons with nice kids for just having a little bit of pot. People said they just wanted to set the priorities straight. It seemed like Norm and I weren't able to do anything for the last 60 days prior to the November 2000 election except campaign against Measure G. The phone calls came in one after another from local, national and even Japan and Portugal media and they all heard the same thing: "A county measure will not trump state law! It will still be illegal to grow pot and we will arrest you if you do."
Well, the voters spoke out and they got what they got. Now it's broke and it needs to be fixed. The only way for his to happen is to inform the public with the facts, let them make their choice and hope that they choose wisely. I only hope that the option they are given will be developed well enough that the remedy won't be worse than the problem.
Quite frankly, I'm glad I'm no longer in the middle of it but I seriously miss Fort Bragg, Mendocino County and all the wonderful people who were so good to me.
Tony Craver
Caldwell, Idaho
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