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Got some positive reporting by one local News Paper
From the Record Searchlight | Redding.com :
A petition drive has started in Shasta County that, if successful, would put the county’s pending ban on outdoor medical marijuana gardens in the voter’s hands this November.
Over the past week dozens of medical marijuana patients, supporters and even professional signature gatherers have fanned out across the county in the hopes of garnering enough... supporters to have the referendum put on the ballot this fall. Whether they can gather the required 6,544 valid signatures before a February 28 deadline remains to be seen.
The signatures must come from registered voters in the county, and many petitioners are also offering to sign up people to vote on the spot. They are also hoping to gather about 10,000 signatures to ensure they have enough qualified signatures.
“Every person I talked with (at a location) yesterday - with the exception of one - said they didn’t necessarily believe in (using marijuana), but they believed in the rights of voters and have signed the petition,” said Shari Houser, a Redding resident who has been helping circulate petitions. “The Board of Supervisors shouldn’t be able to overturn a law we voted on, and that’s what they are doing. They didn’t even follow the recommendations from the Planning Commission.”
County supervisors last month unanimously voted to ban all outdoor medical marijuana cultivation in the unincorporated parts of Shasta County, and place additional restrictions on in grows. The board opted not to go with recommendations from county planners that would have allowed grows on properties larger than 10 acres.
The outdoor ban is set to take effect on Feb. 28 unless the petition proves successful, in which case supervisors could either choose to repeal the ordinance or send it on for voters to decide in the fall, said Cathy Allen-Darling, the county clerk and registrar of voters.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Les Baugh said he thinks the matter would be destined for voters if enough signatures were raised to get the issue on the ballot.
“You had a unanimous 5-0 vote to move forward (with the ordinance) from listening to what I think is the majority of citizens that don’t want outdoor growing,” Baugh said. “There are a lot of people that believe medical marijuana and compassionate use is something that should be considered, but far fewer people that want it grown next door to them, destroying their neighborhoods.”
The Voter Registrar’s office has approved nearly a dozen Shasta County residents in the past two weeks to register new voters for the petition drive, the office confirmed.
Another 22 professional signature gathers, some from out of county, have staked out in front of businesses around Redding and Anderson in an effort to sign up enough supporters before the deadline.
Members of the San Diego-based California Cannabis Coalition are in town helping coordinate the effort.
Doug Campbell, a Redding resident who said he was an independent contractor enlisted to gather signatures for the petition, said the response to the medical marijuana petition had been strong.
“When a petition pushes hot buttons people aren’t so apathetic about it,” he said. “And people care about this one.”
Campbell, who was also soliciting signatures for three state-wide referendums, collected about 70 signatures on the medical marijuana petition while set up in front of Raley’s Supermarket on Lake Boulevard Wednesday afternoon. But he also said it was too close to tell if the drive could prove successful before the deadline just 14 days away.
“It will be very interesting to see what happens in the final tally,” he said.
Dominick Liso Jr. of Redding said he felt strongly enough about the issue to register to vote in front of Raley’s and offer his signature for the petition.
“It’s people’s rights,” said 24-year-old Liso. “It’s in the (state’s) constitution for people have their medicines and the county is going against that.”
A push for a referendum following Shasta County’s change to medical marijuana grow laws in 2011 fell short of collecting enough signatures to have that issue added to the ballot. Organizers then declined to release the exact signature count, but said the group of volunteers had collected thousands.
Locations
Here’s a list of some of the places where signatures are being collected
Safeway, 1070 E. Cypress Ave. in Redding
Walmart, 5000 Rhonda Road in Anderson
Walmart, 1515 Dana Drive in Redding
K-Mart, 2685 Hilltop Drive in Redding
Raley’s Supermarket, 201 Lake Boulevard in Redding
FoodMaxx, 1330 Churn Creek Road in Redding
Trader Joes, 845 Browning St. in Redding
Safeway, 601 Balls Ferry Road in Anderson
Dollar Store, 2385 Athens Ave. in Redding
Queen of Dragons collective, 5044 Shasta Dam Boulevard in Shasta Lake
Grow On, 4530 Westside Road in Redding
Palo Cedro Printing, 9481 Deschutes Road in Palo Cedro
Planet Herb, 2051 Hilltop Drive in Redding
From the Record Searchlight | Redding.com :
A petition drive has started in Shasta County that, if successful, would put the county’s pending ban on outdoor medical marijuana gardens in the voter’s hands this November.
Over the past week dozens of medical marijuana patients, supporters and even professional signature gatherers have fanned out across the county in the hopes of garnering enough... supporters to have the referendum put on the ballot this fall. Whether they can gather the required 6,544 valid signatures before a February 28 deadline remains to be seen.
The signatures must come from registered voters in the county, and many petitioners are also offering to sign up people to vote on the spot. They are also hoping to gather about 10,000 signatures to ensure they have enough qualified signatures.
“Every person I talked with (at a location) yesterday - with the exception of one - said they didn’t necessarily believe in (using marijuana), but they believed in the rights of voters and have signed the petition,” said Shari Houser, a Redding resident who has been helping circulate petitions. “The Board of Supervisors shouldn’t be able to overturn a law we voted on, and that’s what they are doing. They didn’t even follow the recommendations from the Planning Commission.”
County supervisors last month unanimously voted to ban all outdoor medical marijuana cultivation in the unincorporated parts of Shasta County, and place additional restrictions on in grows. The board opted not to go with recommendations from county planners that would have allowed grows on properties larger than 10 acres.
The outdoor ban is set to take effect on Feb. 28 unless the petition proves successful, in which case supervisors could either choose to repeal the ordinance or send it on for voters to decide in the fall, said Cathy Allen-Darling, the county clerk and registrar of voters.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Les Baugh said he thinks the matter would be destined for voters if enough signatures were raised to get the issue on the ballot.
“You had a unanimous 5-0 vote to move forward (with the ordinance) from listening to what I think is the majority of citizens that don’t want outdoor growing,” Baugh said. “There are a lot of people that believe medical marijuana and compassionate use is something that should be considered, but far fewer people that want it grown next door to them, destroying their neighborhoods.”
The Voter Registrar’s office has approved nearly a dozen Shasta County residents in the past two weeks to register new voters for the petition drive, the office confirmed.
Another 22 professional signature gathers, some from out of county, have staked out in front of businesses around Redding and Anderson in an effort to sign up enough supporters before the deadline.
Members of the San Diego-based California Cannabis Coalition are in town helping coordinate the effort.
Doug Campbell, a Redding resident who said he was an independent contractor enlisted to gather signatures for the petition, said the response to the medical marijuana petition had been strong.
“When a petition pushes hot buttons people aren’t so apathetic about it,” he said. “And people care about this one.”
Campbell, who was also soliciting signatures for three state-wide referendums, collected about 70 signatures on the medical marijuana petition while set up in front of Raley’s Supermarket on Lake Boulevard Wednesday afternoon. But he also said it was too close to tell if the drive could prove successful before the deadline just 14 days away.
“It will be very interesting to see what happens in the final tally,” he said.
Dominick Liso Jr. of Redding said he felt strongly enough about the issue to register to vote in front of Raley’s and offer his signature for the petition.
“It’s people’s rights,” said 24-year-old Liso. “It’s in the (state’s) constitution for people have their medicines and the county is going against that.”
A push for a referendum following Shasta County’s change to medical marijuana grow laws in 2011 fell short of collecting enough signatures to have that issue added to the ballot. Organizers then declined to release the exact signature count, but said the group of volunteers had collected thousands.
Locations
Here’s a list of some of the places where signatures are being collected
Safeway, 1070 E. Cypress Ave. in Redding
Walmart, 5000 Rhonda Road in Anderson
Walmart, 1515 Dana Drive in Redding
K-Mart, 2685 Hilltop Drive in Redding
Raley’s Supermarket, 201 Lake Boulevard in Redding
FoodMaxx, 1330 Churn Creek Road in Redding
Trader Joes, 845 Browning St. in Redding
Safeway, 601 Balls Ferry Road in Anderson
Dollar Store, 2385 Athens Ave. in Redding
Queen of Dragons collective, 5044 Shasta Dam Boulevard in Shasta Lake
Grow On, 4530 Westside Road in Redding
Palo Cedro Printing, 9481 Deschutes Road in Palo Cedro
Planet Herb, 2051 Hilltop Drive in Redding
