Kern Supervisors Pass Medical Cannabis Ordinance Today; 6th County to Do So

Congratulations to Bakersfield NORML, Los Angeles ASA staff, and local
advocates for passing such a progressive ordinance in such a hostile area!


News Advisory -- For Immediate Release

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

**

*Kern Supervisors Unanimously Pass Medical Cannabis Ordinance Today*

*/Patients Praise Local Officials; Kern Now 6th County with Regulations/*



Bakersfield, CA -- Today the Kern County Board of Supervisors
unanimously passed an ordinance allowing medical cannabis dispensing
collectives to operate there. The ordinance was passed as presented.
Supervisors considered the measure at their June 13 meeting, but
modified it to protect patient privacy after hearing the concerns of
patients.



"The changes the supervisors made help protect patients by requiring law
enforcement to have a warrant or court order to copy or seize patient
records," said Amanda Brazel, Los Angeles County Field Coordinator for
Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation's largest medical marijuana
advocacy group. "We are also pleased to see on-site consumption,
edibles and inhalation devices will be allowed at dispensing collectives."



ASA patient-advocates were among the more than 35 in attendance at
today's meeting. Among the dozen patients who spoke in favor of the
ordinance, many thanked the county's attorney for removing the provision
that tracked patients' names and their transactions, though some
expressed concern about the Sheriff's role in administering business
licenses for the dispensing collectives. Speakers noted that there has
been no crime involving local collectives in over a year, and the county
planning director could administer a zoning ordinance with the same
requirements as the one passed today.



"We appreciate the supervisors' willingness to listen to the needs of
their citizens," said Kris Hermes, ASA legal director. "Patients in Kern
County will have better access to the medicine their doctors recommend
thanks to this ordinance."



Kern County join Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Calaveras and
Santa Clara counties, as well as 24 California cities, in establishing
guidelines and regulations for patients to access cannabis through
dispensing collectives.



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A national coalition of 30,000 patients, doctors and advocates,
Americans for Safe Access is the largest organization working solely to
secure the rights of patients and doctors to use marijuana medicinally.
To learn more, see http://www.SafeAccessNow.org

--
Rebecca Saltzman
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
p (510) 251-1856 x 308
f (510) 251-2036
http://www.safeaccessnow.org