(Mendocino) Hamburg quits committee drafting marijuana dispensary rules

CRISTA JEREMIASON/Press Democrat
By GLENDA ANDERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 6:26 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 6:48 p.m.

Mendocino County Supervisor Dan Hamburg has dropped off a committee charged with drafting regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries, citing a potential conflict of interest.

His daughter, Laura Hamburg, is considering opening a dispensary, he announced Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

The announcement came less than a week before the two-member committee was scheduled to meet for the first time, said Supervisor John McCowen, the other member.

Hamburg could not be reached Wednesday, but McCowen said his decision was not in response to criticism from the Mendocino County grand jury, which alluded to Hamburg’s votes on other marijuana-related issues.

In its April report “A Pot Paradox or Bud Bingo?” the grand jury recommended that supervisors who grow marijuana recuse themselves from voting on medical marijuana regulations.

It does not name names, but Hamburg is the only supervisor commonly known to grow marijuana.

He has a marijuana prescription for an undisclosed medical condition. His family members, including his wife and daughter, also have marijuana prescriptions. Last year, Hamburg said they grew about 25 plants on his property outside Ukiah.

In its report, the grand jury also voiced concerns over regulating dispensaries. One concern is whether the county would be violating federal marijuana laws by enacting an ordinance.

However, the grand jury concluded the benefits of regulating dispensaries outweigh the risks. Regulations would give the county some control over where the dispensaries are located, according to the grand jury.

Mendocino County officials took an early lead in regulating marijuana production, going so far as to issue permits to growers willing to pay a registration fee. But they are behind the curve on dispensaries.

Lake County supervisors on Tuesday adopted an ordinance regulating dispensaries, joining several jurisdictions in Sonoma County in trying to control the proliferation of pot shops. Lake County’s ordinance requires that dispensaries have permits and limits their number in the unincorporated county to five.


http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110817/ARTICLES/110819523/1350?Title=Hamburg-quits-committee-drafting-marijuana-dispensary-rules