[420 Girl]

Business for the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office continued as normal Friday after a memo leaked from the District Attorney's Office this week gave directions to its attorneys about marijuana cases.

The internal memo from the DA's Office stated that cases having fewer than 200 plants and/or the amount of processed marijuana involved was less than 20 pounds would be rejected.

"The Sheriff's Office is going to do business as we have been doing business," Sheriff Tom Allman said. Commercial marijuana operations are a felony and the Sheriff's Office will continue to investigate, Allman said.

"We will continue to respect legitimate medical marijuana," said Allman. He said he also has hopes for the Sheriff's Office to increase its efforts against metham*hetamine users and dealers.

Sheriff's Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said he feels the guidelines noted in the DA's memo are a disappointing decision.

"I think there is a lack of communication before decisions are made," Smallcomb said, "and unfortunately it affects all tax paying and law abiding citizens of Mendocino County."

Citizens who do not grow marijuana or people growing medical marijuana within the law could stand a chance of being harmed by people coming here from out of the area to steal a plant near someone's house, for example, he said.

Included in the memo was that police could have a chance to send a rejected case back to the DA if they thought it was needed.

The Sheriff's Office would consider criteria, like that in the memo, such as was the person armed, what prior convictions does he or she have and the number of marijuana plants, Allman stated.

"If there is a need to push it for prosecution," Allman said, "I will personally make contact with the district attorney."

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