HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail from Steve Simpson - Chico Enterprise Record News Article RE Pot Business Ban Menchaca, Clarissa
From: Steve Simpson <chicoc3@aol.com>
Sent: Saturday,January 13, 2018 7:12 AM
To: Gebb ASHLEY Staff Writer-; sean.morgan@chicoca.gov; ReanettFillmer;
mark.sorensen@chicoca.gov; Coolidge Andrew; randall.stone@chicoca.gov;
karl.ory@chicoca.gov, ann.schwab@chicoca.gov; Kirk, Maureen;Wahl, Larry; Lambert,
Steve;Teeter, Doug; Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill
Subject: Chico Enterprise Record E-Edition Article
Chico City Council & Butte County Supervisors,
Thank you for all your hard work. You are keeping our cities and county safe.
Follow the link below to view the article.
chi coenter riserecord.ca.newsmemor .coml ublink. h ?shareid=145fl 53b7
Steve Simpson at chicoc3@aol.com
Sent from my iPad
i
POT BUSINESS BAN _ Chico Enterprise Record Page 1 of 4
Chico Enterprise Record � Page A01 Saturday, 13 January 2018
SHAPE 10 t",
BUTTE COUNTY
POT BUSINESS BAN
Local cannabis firms are leaving, and customers are looking elsewhere
By Risa Johnson
Liohnson@chicoer.com @risamjohnson on Twitter
BUTT COUNTY» Local marijuana businesses that want to operate legally are shutting down
and their customers are looking elsewhere, as all commercial cannabis activity is banned in
Butte County..
Their legal options for purchasing products are between driving to licensed dispensaries in
places like Sacramento or Shasta Lake, or having a licensed service originating from outside
Butte County deliver to somewhere in the unincorporated areas of the county.
California residents retain the right to grow up to six plants, though the Chico City Council
has restricted grows to indoors.
They could also turn to the black market.
The Oroville City Council voted to prohibit commercial cannabis activity in April 2017, before
Chico`s council and the county Board of Supervisors. However, Oroville councilors will
reconsider at their next meeting on Tuesday.
Residents wonder where to go
Chico resident Sam Perry is not sure how he will access medical cannabis products for his
son, David. David was born with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a form of epilepsy that used to
result in severe seizures up to 85 times a day for him.
That was before he tried medical cannabis — and his seizures reduced drastically. Now, he
has a small one every couple days, on average.
Perry couldn't believe it.
"I'm going "Oh my god, what happened here?"" he said. "The seizures stopped almost
immediately."
They had tried) just about everything before Perry began researching medical marijuana a
couple of years ago. Over the course of 30-year-old David's life, they sought doctors at
renowned medical facilities including UCLA and took part in clinical trials but the frequent
seizures prevailed.
A year and a half ago, Perry decided cannabis was worth a shot and got a medical card. A
local neurologist told him that David desperately needed more sleep in order for his brain to
heal, as his nights were constantly interrupted. There was a possibility cannabis could help
him sleep more, and it did.
http://chicoenterpriserecord.ca.newsmemory.cora/publink.plip?shareid=145fl 53b'7 2/9/2018
POT BUSINESS BAIL - Chico Enterprise Record. Page 2 of
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Samples of products are on a table Monday as former cannabis dispensary/delivery owner
Samuel Monteon talks about the industry and the hopes he has for change during an.
interview at his Chico home.
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Former cannabis dispensary/delivery owner Samuel Monteon holds a sample on Monday at
his Chico home,
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Samples of products on a table Monday at the Chico home of former cannabis
dispensary/delivery owner Samuel Monteon.
"They all tell me secretly, "It's worth a try, what do you have to lose?""` Perry said. "As a
father, watching your son (suffer) for 30 years, it tears you up inside more than you would
ever believe."
David is still on five medications which cost $3,000 to $5,000 each, Perry said. Nothing has
helped David like cannabidoil, or CBD tinctures, which come in a battle or dropper and are
consumed orally. CBD is one of many cannabinoids found in cannabis, but it doesn't have
the euphoric effects like THC does.
Tittp://chicoenterpriserecor .ca.newsmemory.coin/publink.plip?sh aaeid 1 f]53b7 2/9/2018
POT BUSINESS BAN - Chico Enterprise Record Page 3 of 4
"I hoped I wasn't breaking any laws," he said. "I'm still not even sure."
Perry describes himself as a conservative who doesn't drink or use marijuana. He doesn't
really care whether or not the city allows recreational marijuana to.be sold here.
"If I could have it delivered, that would be great," Perry said. "If it's for medical purposes,
the City Council shouldn't stand in the way of that."
Saying 'bye'to Butte
Collectives that have been operating out of Chico for years are hoping the Chico City Council
will reconsider its restrictions on commercial sales and outdoor grows. In the opinion of John
Main, owner of NorCal Medicine Man, the council took "the easy way out" with a sweeping
ban.
He wouldn't specify where, but Main said he has moved his business outside of the county.
"It affected us and a great number of residents that rely on medical cannabis," Main said.
"The city of Chico basically says grow it yourself or (get it out of town). That's ridiculous in
many people's cases."
This poses a hardship for his clientele, some of whom have mental and physical disabilities,
Main said. They aren't likely to grow their own plants and may be unable to drive to another
city to buy products.
"It's not just about a punk kid wanting to get some bud," Main said.
The majority of Butte County voters said they wanted more access to marijuana, not less, he
said. Proposition 64 passed with 53 percent approval in the November 2016 election, making
it legal for adults 21 and over to use cannabis and giving cities and counties the ability to
issue local licenses to businesses like dispensaries or deliveries. It had 61 percent voter
approval from Chicoans.
Main said NorCal Medicine Man was the oldest game in town, with over 6,000 members.
"We do have more people that are desperately needing medicine," he said. "I don't care
about recreational."
Looking forward
Samuel Monteon, CEO of Chico-based Fire Pharmaceuticals, has found himself out of
business. That is since Jan. 1, when companies had to be state-licensed in order to operate.
Monteon started a referendum in November in an effort to halt the Chico ban but fell short of
the necessary 5,001 signatures, representing 10 percent of the voting population. While the
group gathered 4,228 signatures, he does not see it as a total loss.
"I still feel like it brought a lot of awareness," Monteon said. "People didn't really know the
City Council had banned it. That set us up for the next step. I hope to get the ball rolling
faster next time."
After the petition failed, he formed the Chico Cannabis Association along with some local
farmers, distributors and manufacturers. Their goal is to repeal the ordinance.
"There are many people in my organization who want the City Council members to be voted
out," Monteon said. My goal is to make change happen without it needing to get to that. I'm
not trying to make anyone lose their job. That being said, if that's what it has to take for us
to get what we need, then so be it."
http://chicoenterpriserecord.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=145fl 53b7 2/9/2018
POT BUSINESS BAN - Chico Enterprise Record Page 4 of 4
He is concerned that banning sales will proliferate the black market.
"Chico is a huge cannabis community, and make no mistake, just because it's been
prohibited to be commercially sold here, that does not mean cannabis is going anywhere,"
he said. "You have, all these street dealers who just got a huge clientele bonus because all
these legal dispensaries are turning away their patients. I don't know about you, but I'd
much rather have discreet delivery services, that nobody ever sees originate from a shop and
terminate inside a residence than have all sorts of street dealers hanging in front of
Safeway."
Monteon and others who advertise or search on Weedmaps, a popular online marijuana
directory, said a month ago there were about 40 listings for open deliveries in Chico. On
Friday, there were six.
Contact reporter Risa Johnson at 896-7763.
"We do have more people that are desperately needing medicine. I don't care
about recreational."
John Main, owner of NorCal Medicine Man
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