[420 Girl]

California - Though the election is still three months away, both sides of the fight over the future of medical marijuana in Mendocino County have begun to organize.Measure B, which was placed on the ballot by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 8, would repeal Measure G, passed by Mendocino County voters in 2000.

Measure G, the cannabis personal use ordinance, instructed law enforcement officers to make prosecution of anyone growing fewer than 25 marijuana plants their lowest priority. Late last year, the Board of Supervisors agreed to set medical marijuana limits at 25 plants in accordance with Measure G.

If passed, Measure B would set possession limits for medical marijuana at 12 immature or six mature plants and eight ounces of dried marijuana, the same as the limits set by the state.

Ross Liberty, speaking for the Yes on B coalition, said no person growing 25 plants is doing so for personal use because even the sickest person does not need that much marijuana.

Yes on B believes that Measure G has created a permissive attitude in the county that encourages large scale growers to come here to grow marijuana commercially with little fear of prosecution.

"Currently, local elected officials and commercial growers view Measure G as the mandate of the Mendocino County voters," Liberty said. "The Yes on B Coalition seeks to change that view by passing Measure B to show local elected officials and commercial marijuana growers around the world that we no longer want to be the world epicenter for commercial marijuana cultivation."

Laura Hamburg said Measure B is a step backward that would take law enforcement resources away from more serious crimes.

"It would make anyone with more than six plants a felon," she said.

Liberty said Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman has made it clear that serious crimes will always take top priority.

Charges of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale against Hamburg, the spokeswoman for the No on B organization, recently were dismissed after a judge threw out evidence gained from a search warrant.

Hamburg said the garden was medical marijuana she was growing for herself, her sister and a neighbor. All three of them have medical marijuana recommendations.

Hamburg said No on B rejects arguments that repealing Measure G would reduce the number of large scale commercial growers in the county. Commercial growers do not know about or care about local marijuana laws, she said.

"If Measure B would stop large commercial growers and abuses it would be an outstanding measure, but it will not do that," Hamburg said.

She said most large scale growers don't live in Mendocino County and that the repeal of Measure G would not hinder them.

"Rolling back Measure G will do nothing but criminalize our residents, our friends and our neighbors," she said.

Hamburg said a better way to deal with commercial growers would be to work with law enforcement and educate legitimate medicinal growers to what the law is in Mendocino County.

Other organizations are also taking sides in the debate. The Mendocino County Farm Bureau endorsed Measure B last month.

"The board felt it would be better if the state and county guidelines were consistent," said Farm Bureau President Peter Johnson.

Though the board has taken an official stance on the ballot measure, Johnson said the board is not telling Farm Bureau members to vote for Measure B.

"It's up to our members to make their own decisions," he said.


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