Sonoma County Explores Medical Marijuana Criminal And Civil Penalties
Attention Patients, Caregivers, & Cultivators
The County of Sonoma needs to hear from you!
Background:
The Sonoma County Supervisors approved a quarter of a million dollars to be allocated to figure out what criminal and civil penalties should be imposed for illegal cultivations and dispensaries in Sonoma County. The board of supervisors approved this in October of 2011, and over the next six months we expect to see written regulation created for the county related to cultivation. In December there was a stakeholder meeting to give the county input, unfortunately patients were not invited to be part of this discussion.
This brings you up to date:
The next public opportunity to give input will be at the Board of Supervisors hearing tomorrow, Tuesday February 7th @ 2pm. We need you there. This are two phases being discussed:
Phase One: Capping the number of dispensaries in Unincorporated Sonoma County to 9.
– The county board of supervisors has already voted on capping the number at 9, this is more than the 7 initially considered.
– Phase 1 (the Cap) is the only item being voted on today.
Phase Two: Implementing criminal and civil penalties against non compliant cannabis cultivations and dispensaries which do not hold permits. Imposing criminal and civil penalties will affect cannabis patients, too many are currently facing charges, we don’t have the resources to have more people in our court.
The Board of Supervisors meeting takes place at 2pm at 575 Administration drive, the hearing room is 102A, in Santa Rosa (near Sonoma County Courthouse).
We will be meeting beforehand at Peet’s Coffee at 1pm, on the corner of Mendocino Avenue & Administration drive to go over talking points, and get prepared to speak.
