Archive for February, 2012
12:00 AM
BY MARY GROW, Correspondent
CHINA — Rich McCarthy thinks MUBEC is a good thing for Maine residents, but some China selectmen are skeptical.
MUBEC is the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, and the town is required by state law to enforce it through inspections beginning July 1.
The code is embodied in a stack of documents almost a foot high that McCarthy brought to Monday’s selectmen’s meeting. McCarthy is the state fire marshal’s representative on the committee that developed the requirements.
To Selectman Joann Austin, the program is an unnecessary additional regulation that increases a homeowner’s cost in order to give someone else a job. Board Chairman Peter Foote also voiced doubts about the requirement that either a town official or hired inspector examine new buildings.
But to McCarthy and Code Enforcement Officer Scott Pierz, an inspector’s approval means a house meets construction and energy standards, will save its owner money on fuel and should increase the building’s value.
“You’re going to have better quality buildings,” McCarthy said, saying better quality materials in new houses will also retard the spread of fires. “Codes are not there just to cost you money; they’re there to save lives.”
McCarthy assured selectmen that a local builder needs only about 20 pages from the four-inch-thick residential building code and a few more pages from the quarter-inch energy code that were part of the stack.
The residential code, he said, prescribes standards for such things as the size of floor joists and rafters.
It is so thick because it is international, with adjustments for U.S. states and for different communities within each state. For example, the standard for the snow load a roof has to bear without collapsing is different for Alaska and Mississippi — and for Fort Kent and Kittery.
McCarthy said reputable contractors will find the code has little effect: They already build to its standards. Other builders who should not be building houses anyway will have to change their ways or go out of business, he said.
Enforcing the code means that each new building, addition or substantial renovation started after July 1 will have to be inspected during construction. The inspector will submit a report to Pierz, who cannot issue an occupancy permit allowing use of the building until he gets the report.
However, Pierz does not have to read the report, McCarthy said. The inspector, not the codes officer, signs it and puts his reputation behind it.
State law says all towns with a population of more than 2,000 that do not have their own building code must begin enforcing the Maine code July 1. There are three options for the required inspections: a town official, like the codes officer, can do them; the homeowner can hire a certified inspector; or several towns can band together to hire an inspector.
The state has been certifying inspectors, and there are 173 certified already, McCarthy said. One goal of the program, he said, is to create jobs for Maine residents.
Depending on the inspector and the situation, the cost to a homeowner of hiring a private inspector is likely to range from $500 to $2,000, he said.
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Tags: news
SALT LAKE CITY–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Mindshare Technologies, the
leader in Customer Feedback solutions, announced today that Richard D.
Hanks will retire as president of the company on March 31, 2012. Mr.
Hanks will remain Chairman of the Board and continue to be involved in
strategic planning and business development as a senior advisor to the
company. In addition to his Board responsibilities with Mindshare and
other companies, Rich, who remains one of the company’s largest
investors, will continue writing and participating in trade and academic
speaking engagements. Mindshare’s co-founder, John Sperry, will continue
as CEO of the company.
“The company’s success can all be traced
directly back to their hard work and commitment. With Mindshare’s
current cadre of strong leaders, I believe the company is poised for
even greater success in the future.”
Mr. Hanks joined Mindshare as chairman nine years ago, shortly after it
was incorporated. During Mr. Hanks’ tenure, Mindshare’s annualized sales
have grown from $40 thousand/year to $20 million/year. In 2011, the
company grew revenues 39 percent and recorded its 105th
consecutive month of recurring revenue growth, while remaining
profitable. What began as a two-employee operation has grown to over 100
employees and expanded service throughout North America, Latin America,
Asia, and Europe. Mindshare’s clients have received over 2 billion
individual insights from their customers and 100 million completed
surveys. The company now collects surveys in over 25 industries, in more
than 125 countries, and in 30 languages.
“Rich has been a great partner and friend,” said John Sperry, Mindshare
CEO. “Our strengths have complemented each other as we have built this
business together. Mindshare will miss his day-to-day leadership as our
president, but we consider ourselves fortunate that he will continue on
as our senior advisor.”
Both the company and its leadership have been recognized for numerous
achievements. In 2008, the company was named to the Inc 500
list of the fastest growing private companies. In 2010, Rich and John
were named EY Entrepreneurs of the Year. Utah
Business placed Mindshare on its annual list of Best Utah
Companies to Work For, and the company was also honored as one
of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ in the United
States. The company has raised over $27 million in outside funding, and
its original investors have seen their investment grow over 1,000 times.
“I am so grateful to have had the chance to work with such talented and
good people,” said Mr. Hanks. “The company’s success can all be traced
directly back to their hard work and commitment. With Mindshare’s
current cadre of strong leaders, I believe the company is poised for
even greater success in the future.”
About Mindshare Technologies
Using Mindshare, companies improve operational excellence, foster
consumer satisfaction, build customer loyalty, and support employee
retention. Mindshare’s industry experts guide clients in building
comprehensive enterprise feedback management (EFM) solutions.
Mindshare’s proprietary survey technology captures the voice of the
customer in real-time and immediately transforms it into actionable
intelligence through powerful and incisive reporting. For information,
visit www.mshare.net.
Tags: news
SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mindshare Technologies, the
leader in Customer Feedback solutions, announced today that Richard D.
Hanks will retire as president of the company on March 31, 2012. Mr.
Hanks will remain Chairman of the Board and continue to be involved in
strategic planning and business development as a senior advisor to the
company. In addition to his Board responsibilities with Mindshare and
other companies, Rich, who remains one of the company’s largest
investors, will continue writing and participating in trade and academic
speaking engagements. Mindshare’s co-founder, John Sperry, will continue
as CEO of the company.
“Rich has been a great partner and friend”
Mr. Hanks joined Mindshare as chairman nine years ago, shortly after it
was incorporated. During Mr. Hanks’ tenure, Mindshare’s annualized sales
have grown from $40 thousand/year to $20 million/year. In 2011, the
company grew revenues 39 percent and recorded its 105th
consecutive month of recurring revenue growth, while remaining
profitable. What began as a two-employee operation has grown to over 100
employees and expanded service throughout North America, Latin America,
Asia, and Europe. Mindshare’s clients have received over 2 billion
individual insights from their customers and 100 million completed
surveys. The company now collects surveys in over 25 industries, in more
than 125 countries, and in 30 languages.
“Rich has been a great partner and friend,” said John Sperry, Mindshare
CEO. “Our strengths have complemented each other as we have built this
business together. Mindshare will miss his day-to-day leadership as our
president, but we consider ourselves fortunate that he will continue on
as our senior advisor.”
Both the company and its leadership have been recognized for numerous
achievements. In 2008, the company was named to the Inc 500
list of the fastest growing private companies. In 2010, Rich and John
were named EY Entrepreneurs of the Year. Utah
Business placed Mindshare on its annual list of Best Utah
Companies to Work For, and the company was also honored as one
of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ in the United
States. The company has raised over $27 million in outside funding, and
its original investors have seen their investment grow over 1,000 times.
“I am so grateful to have had the chance to work with such talented and
good people,” said Mr. Hanks. “The company’s success can all be traced
directly back to their hard work and commitment. With Mindshare’s
current cadre of strong leaders, I believe the company is poised for
even greater success in the future.”
About Mindshare Technologies
Using Mindshare, companies improve operational excellence, foster
consumer satisfaction, build customer loyalty, and support employee
retention. Mindshare’s industry experts guide clients in building
comprehensive enterprise feedback management (EFM) solutions.
Mindshare’s proprietary survey technology captures the voice of the
customer in real-time and immediately transforms it into actionable
intelligence through powerful and incisive reporting. For information,
visit www.mshare.net.
Tags: news
Jim Perez, Steve Jannicelli and Rich Waller
NORTH BAY – Companies in the North Bay and beyond are increasingly turning to “the cloud” when upgrading their accounting systems, embracing an Internet-based approach that local accounting professionals said can result in a reduction of information technology and other costs associated with storing and processing that information in-house.
While those professionals said that moving one’s accounting to the Internet is not the only option during an upgrade, the clear cost savings and myriad options have a growing appeal at a time when the recession’s surviving businesses are taking time to improve their efficiency.
“I think all businesses are moving in that direction, regardless of size,” said Jim Perez, an accounting lecturer at Sonoma State University and partner at the Petaluma office of Pisenti Brinker. “More companies – small and large – are looking to maximize the efficiency of their information systems. Often, a cloud-based system is the best way to do that.”
Unlike the accounting software that a company might buy and install, the data and software of a cloud-based system are stored on remote servers and accessed through an Internet connection. While the look and feel of the Internet systems are similar to installed software, the approach requires no local data storage or software upgrades, doing away with the costs to maintain those systems locally and allowing access from any location.
“You’d have no idea whether it was client-based software or Web based,” said Steve Jannicelli, senior manager in the consulting practice at the North Bay office of Burr Pilger Mayer.
The approach shares attributes with the so-called software-as-a-service or “SaaS” concept in which companies offer a suite of Web-based software for a fee. Increasingly, software companies are also looking to host the data as well, creating an all-in-one system that clients access through the Web.
Many of the biggest players in accounting software are pushing hard to gain a foothold in the growing market. Intuit’s popular Quickbooks Online continues to add features and grew its users by 44 percent in 2010, and companies like Microsoft, Google and Amazon are developing platforms that are already bringing more power to cloud-based computing. Newer names like San Mateo-based Netsuite are also riding the growing trend, touting benefits that include robust integration of different elements of their software.
One of the greatest benefits of the new wave of online services, Mr. Perez said, is the fact that companies can sign up for custom-tailored packages of software as they need it. The “scalability” of these services allows the software to grow with the company, saving money over bundles of software that might offer more or less than the business requires.
At BPM, Mr. Jannicelli said that the firm has created a specialized team to manage the increasing requests to move in-house accounting systems to cloud-based options.
“It’s becoming a significant portion of our practice,” he said. “It’s not as simple as, ‘OK, take the servers on your way out and sign me up.’”
Some companies can find merit in a hybrid system, one where some data and software are cloud-based while other data is kept locally, Mr. Jannicelli said.
The time it takes to migrate that data can vary, and Mr. Perez said that companies could expect a process lasting between one and one-and-a-half years.
Some business owners remain concerned about the security of their financial data in the hands of a third party, a sensibility that Mr. Jannicelli said was not unlike the apprehension present when the technology first appeared to make purchases online.
“The fact is the security in these cloud-based environments is going to be equal or greater than what you can secure in-house,” he said.
To help address those concerns, Mr. Perez recommended that those interested in a cloud-based accounting system look for that company’s most recent “Statement on Auditing Standards 70, service organizations,” audit, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. An up-to-date SAS 70 would include information pertaining to that company’s security measures, and simply having a recent audit is itself a good sign, he said.
Other concerns include the reliance on an internet connection and the uptime of the remote company’s servers, two worries that Mr. Jannicelli said are often overblown.
“These companies are founded on the issue of accessibility,” he said.
One new company in the field, Santa Rosa-based VisiQuate, began two years ago with a web-based service that provides analytic information for existing accounting systems. With a number of clients in health care and a growing number in financial services, the company has doubled its clients each year, said Chief Technology Officer Rich Waller.
That growth, he said, was due to the inherent merits of a web-based system, offering a flexibility and access that he said would grow to define business accounting and analytic software in the future.
“There’s just so much about it that makes sense. I definitely think that it’s the way of the future,” Mr. Waller said.
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Topics: Accounting report 2-27-2012, Burr Pilger Mayer – BPM, North Bay, North Bay Business Journal 2-27-2012, Pisenti Brinker, software, Software as a Service, Steve Jannicelli | Categories: Accounting, Industry News, North Bay News, Technology
Tags: news
by Krystal Paco
Guam – According to the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention, diets rich in fruits and vegetables are
also linked to reducing the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic
diseases. They also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other
substances important to good health. The secret? Incorporating them into every
meal as well as making it the first choice for a snack.
Guam is no exception when
it comes to the nation’s obesity problem. According to the Department of Public
Health Bureau of Nutrition Administrator Charles Morris, diet is mostly to
blame. “The obesity problem is a national problem and the diet has grown
over time to become so high in fat and sugar and less of a consumption,”
he said.
Department of Agriculture chief of development services John
Borja says residents should eat more like our ancestors and reap the rewards of
growing their own food. He said, “I think people need to come out into the
open and into the sun and get a little exercise get them off the couch, get
them off from eating too much in the house and doing nothing. We Chamorros before
in the past were very healthy – we relied on the land. For the food we went to
the rivers and caught our fish we went to the farm and harvested our vegetables
and picked our fruits, we’re finding out that nowadays canned food is
convenient to buy. But it’s not healthy it’s full of sodium, full of salt.
“And we’re seeing a lot of little gains and we’re
hearing people coming back and saying ‘we enjoyed it, we liked it’ and we like
the results and we’re there for them and we’re there for whatever they need to
know about farming and gardening.”
Morris recently presented a plan to the Mayors Council of Guam
asking for their support in prompting their villages to grow their own greens.
“We hope that the local gardens and home gardens will catch on to the point
where it ultimately finds its way to the tables of Guam
families. Through the change of the diet, curb the problems we have with
non-communicable diseases and obesity-related diseases,” he said.
It’s the prime time of the year to get started growing from
home because the dry season is perfect for cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, beans,
bitter melon, and sweet potatoes. It’s also less strenuous on the wallet and
will keep you from the high costs of eating out. Be wary to not overcook your
produce because you will lose the nutritional value.
Tags: news
It adds: “One of the best ways to keep thieves out is to use nature’s own
defence mechanisms to stop intruders.
“A barrier of prickly hedge may be all the protection you need around
your property.”
It then lists all 30 plants, stating ‘Here are some suggestions for plants to
use’, adding jokingly: “We have tried to identify the plants mentioned
by their correct botanical name, but we cannot guarantee that the plant you
buy will not grow into a small, fragrant flowering shrub with no more thorns
than a daisy.”
The first 16 plants on the list give detailed description of the plants and
is as follows;
1 – Creeping Juniper – Juniperis horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’ – Also known
as ‘Blue Rug’ because it has long branches and its prostrate shape forms a
flattened blue carpet. It has a thorny stem and foliage.
2 – Blue Spruce – Picea pungens ‘Globosa’ – Rigid branches, irregular
dense blue, spiky needles. Height 1-1.25m x 75cm – 1 m. Slow growing. Moist
rich soil.
3 – Common Holly – Ilex agulfolium – Large evergreen shrub, dark green
spiked leaves. Large red berries on female plants only. Any well drained
soil. Plant with garden compost and bone-meal.
4 – Giant Rhubarb – Gunnera manicata – Giant rhubarb-like leaves on
erect stems, abrasive foliage. Can grow up to 2.5m high. Plant by water-side
for effect.
5 – Golden Bamboo – Phyllostachys aurea- Very graceful, forming thick
clumps of up to 3.5m high. Less invasive than other bamboos. Hardy. Young
shoots in spring.
6 – Chinese Jujube – Zizyphus sativa – Medium sized tree with very
spiny pendulous branches. Leaves glossy bright green. Bears clusters of
small yellow flowers.
7 – Firethorn - Pyracantha ‘Orange Glow’ – Flowers white in June, with
bright orange-red berries. Thorny stem. Height 10-15ft. Suitable for north
or east-facing wall or as impenetrable hedging.
8 – Shrub Rose – Rosa ‘Frau Dagmar Hastrup’ – Excellent ground cover,
pale pink flowers, very thorny stem. May to September. Plant with garden
compost and bone-meal.
9 – Pencil Christmas Tree – Picea abias ‘Cupressina’ – Medium-sized
tree of columnar habit, with ascending spiky branches. Attractive form with
dense growth. Avoid dry chalky soils.
10 – Juniper – Juniperus x media ‘Old Gold’ – Evergreen. Golden-tipped
foliage. Prickly foliage. Height 2ft. Spread 6ft. Low growing. Excellent
ground cover.
11 – Purple Berberis – Berberis thunbergil ‘Atropurpurea’- Rich purple
foliage. Thorny stem. Medium-sized deciduous. Any soil sunny position.
12 – Mountain Pine – Pinus mugo ‘Mughus’- A very hardy, large shrub or
small tree, with long sharp needles, of dense, bushy habit. Leaves in pairs,
3 – 4cm long, rigid and curved, dark green, cone.
13 – Blue Pine – Picea pungens ‘Hoopsii’- Small to medium-sized tree,
spiky needled stem, densely conical habit, with vividly glaucous blue
leaves. Likes moist, rich soil.
14 – Oleaster – Elaeagnus angustifolia – Small deciduous tree, about
4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 feet) high. Smooth, dark brown branches that often bear
spines and narrow, light green leaves that are silvery on the undersides.
The flowers are small, greenish, fragrant, and silvery-scaled on the
outside, as are the edible, olive-shaped, yellowish fruits, which are sweet
but mealy. Hardy, wind resistant, tolerant of poor, dry sites, and thus
useful in windbreak hedges.
15 – Blackthorn – Prunus spinosa – Also called Sloe; spiny shrub.
Usually grows less than 3.6 metres (12 feet) tall and has numerous, small
leaves. Its dense growth makes it suitable for hedges. White flowers.
Bluish-black fruit is used to flavour sloe gin.
16 – Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry – Ribes speciosum – Fruit bush, spiny,
produces greenish to greenish-pink flowers in clusters of two or three.
Extremely hardy, thrive in moist, heavy clay soil in cool, humid climate.
It then lists a further 14 plants, stating ‘In addition, the following thorny
plants can also be considered….Aralia, Chaenomeles, Colletia, Crataegus
(including hawthorn/may), Hippophae (sea buckthorn), Maclura, Mahonia,
Oplopanax, Osmanthus, Poncirus, Rhamnus, Rosa (climbing shrub roses),
Rubus (bramble), Smilax Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum).
The advice continues, stating: “Although they will take some time to
grow, the end result justifies the effort. They should deter even the most
determined burglar.
“Hedges and shrubs in the front garden should be kept to a height of no
more than three feet in order to avoid giving a burglar a screen behind
which he can conceal himself.”
Tags: news
SAN FRANCISCO — Residents of Mendocino County, the redwood and marijuana-rich territory in California’s fabled Emerald Triangle, thought they had reached detente in the decades-old clash between pot growers and local law enforcement two years ago when the sheriff agreed to stop raiding medical cannabis producers who paid to have their crops inspected.
For a $1,500 fee and adherence to rules over water usage, odor control and distance from neighbors, marijuana farmers working for groups of patients could grow up to 99 plants on five acres of land. Numbered red zip ties had be affixed to each plant, confirming the county’s seal of approval and giving a visiting deputy proof the pot was legally grown.
The one-of-a-kind program generated $663,230 for the sheriff’s department – and prompted inquiries from other jurisdictions interested in creating their own.
But this month, the permitting system became the most striking casualty of the crackdown on medical marijuana cultivation and distribution by California’s federal prosecutors. The board of supervisors ended the experiment after the U.S. attorney for Northern California threatened take the county to court for helping produce an illegal drug.
“We thought we had something that was working and was making our life easier so we could turn our attention to other pressing matters,” Supervisor John McCowen said. “We were creating an above-ground regulatory framework that protected public safety and protected the environment. It was truly a landmark program.”
After four-and-a-half months, the federal government’s highly publicized offensive has reverberated unevenly throughout California. It has resulted in a near-total shutdown of storefront pot dispensaries in some cities that welcomed federal intervention. It has upset officials in pot-friendly places, who thought they had found the right formula for facilitating legal use. And it has created uncertainty in localities still struggling to curtail their pot outlets.
Medical pot is legal to varying degrees in 16 states and the District of Columbia. And officials in more than half of them have been told government workers implementing medical marijuana laws could face criminal charges.
But California, which in 1996 became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use, has come under special scrutiny. Its laws remain the nation’s most liberal, allowing doctors to issue pot recommendations for almost any ailment and giving local authorities broad discretion, but little guidance, in how to implement them.
The state’s laws stand in conflict with federal law, which holds marijuana is illegal substance with no recognized health benefits. And the current offensive is designed to make dispensaries and local government officials comply with it.
The primary tool the U.S. attorneys have used is threatening to seize the properties of landlords who knowingly leased farms or retail spaces to the commercial medical marijuana trade. But they also have filed criminal and civil charges against owners of nonprofit dispensaries they say were pocketing tons of money and furnishing pot to people who had no medical need for it. And in some cases, such as Mendocino’s, they have warned government officials.
“These licensing schemes are inconsistent with federal law,” Melinda Haag, Northern California’s U.S. attorney, said in October. “We are simply reminding local officials the ordinances are illegal.”
As part of the statewide crackdown, about 90 dispensaries in 19 Southern California cities were sent letters telling them to close or face possible criminal charges and fines. More than a dozen building owners where marijuana clinics were once located have been subjected to federal forfeiture lawsuits.
In Orange County, the city of Lake Forest had a dozen dispensaries operating a year ago. After officials sought help from federal prosecutors, only one pot shop remains.
In San Diego, the vast majority of the 180 or so pot shops whose landlords were sent warning letters have closed. And in unincorporated parts of Sacramento County, where the Board of Supervisors cited the federal crackdown when outlawing dispensaries, all 97 pot shops are gone.
“What the feds bring to the party is they can do things under their federal law that cities and counties and even the state of California cannot do,” said Jeffrey Dunn, an attorney who has helped Lake Forest and other Southern California cities shutter dispensaries. “There are no disputes about medicinal use because it doesn’t matter. If you are distributing marijuana, end of discussion.”
Federal authorities have not yet weighed into Los Angeles, where city officials tried to limit the number of pot shops two years ago and are now considering a total ban.
City officials believe there still may be hundreds of shops doing business right now. “As of today, we don’t know how many exist,” said special assistant city attorney Jane Usher. “The last thing they are inclined to do is to tell us they are open.”
Until Mendocino County officials bowed to pressure, the federal offensive was not very visible in pot-tolerant places either. In San Francisco, only five of the city’s 26 dispensaries have closed, with federal prosecutors saying they were targeted because of their proximity to places such as schools and playgrounds. Only one of neighboring Marin County’s six clinics closed, and Fairfax town officials appealed to keep it and its tax revenue.
Advocates and experts say Justice Department directives have sent mixed signals since the election of President Barack Obama _first saying that prosecutors would no longer pursue dispensaries following state law, then stating that cultivating, selling and distributing marijuana was still against the law.
The pressure by California’s federal prosecutors came in response to the second directive and the unsuccessful efforts by local governments to keep dispensaries in check, said McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney in Sacramento.
“The perception by proponents of medical marijuana was that, if they… were complying with state law, the feds were going to leave them alone,” Scott said. “I think what happened is, the administration realized they had made a mistake by taking the lid off.”
Supporters of medical marijuana have questioned why the federal government is derailing attempts to create legal frameworks for getting pot to people authorized to use it.
“They claim they don’t have any problem with individual medical marijuana patients accessing their medicine, but then go out of their way to prevent the creation of any kind of responsible system from being developed,” said Stephen Gutwillig, the Drug Policy Alliance’s director in California. “It’s basically a form of sabre rattling.”
____
Associated Press writer Greg Risling contributed to this article from Los Angeles.
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Tags: news
SAN FRANCISCO
Residents of Mendocino County, the redwood- and marijuana-rich territory in California’s fabled Emerald Triangle, thought they had reached détente in the decades-old clash between pot growers and local law enforcement two years ago when the sheriff agreed to stop raiding medical cannabis producers who paid to have their crops inspected.
For a $1,500 fee and adherence to rules on water usage, odor control and distance from neighbors, marijuana farmers working for groups of patients could grow up to 99 plants on five acres of land. Numbered red zip ties had be affixed to each plant, confirming the county’s seal of approval and giving a visiting deputy proof the pot was legally grown. The one-of-a-kind program generated $663,230 for the Sheriff’s Department — and prompted inquiries from other jurisdictions interested in creating their own.
But this month, the permitting system became the most striking casualty of the crackdown on medical marijuana cultivation and distribution by California’s federal prosecutors. The Board of Supervisors ended the experiment after the U.S. attorney for Northern California threatened to take the county to court for helping produce an illegal drug.
“We thought we had something that was working and was making our life easier so we could turn our attention to other pressing matters,” Supervisor John McCowen said. “We were creating an aboveground regulatory framework that protected public safety and protected the environment. It was truly a landmark program.”
After 4½ months, the federal government’s highly publicized offensive has reverberated unevenly throughout California. It has resulted in a near-total shutdown of storefront pot dispensaries in some cities that welcomed federal intervention. It has upset officials in pot-friendly places, who thought they had found the right formula for facilitating legal use. And it has created uncertainty in localities struggling to curtail their pot outlets.
Medical pot is legal to varying degrees in California and 15 other states and the District of Columbia.
Tags: news
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Residents of Mendocino County, the redwood and marijuana-rich territory in California’s fabled Emerald Triangle, thought they had reached detente in the decades-old clash between pot growers and local law enforcement two years ago when the sheriff agreed to stop raiding medical cannabis producers who paid to have their crops inspected.
For a $1,500 fee and adherence to rules over water usage, odor control and distance from neighbors, marijuana farmers working for groups of patients could grow up to 99 plants on five acres of land. Numbered red zip ties had be affixed to each plant, confirming the county’s seal of approval and giving a visiting deputy proof the pot was legally grown.
The one-of-a-kind program generated $663,230 for the sheriff’s department — and prompted inquiries from other jurisdictions interested in creating their own.
But this month, the permitting system became the most striking casualty of the crackdown on medical marijuana cultivation and distribution by California’s federal prosecutors. The board of supervisors ended the experiment after the U.S. attorney for Northern California threatened take the county to court for helping produce an illegal drug.
“We thought we had something that was working and was making our life easier so we could turn our attention to other pressing matters,” Supervisor John McCowen said. “We were creating an above-ground regulatory framework that protected public safety and protected
the environment. It was truly a landmark program.”
After four-and-a-half months, the federal government’s highly publicized offensive has reverberated unevenly throughout California. It has resulted in a near-total shutdown of storefront pot dispensaries in some cities that welcomed federal intervention. It has upset officials in pot-friendly places, who thought they had found the right formula for facilitating legal use. And it has created uncertainty in localities still struggling to curtail their pot outlets.
Medical pot is legal to varying degrees in 16 states and the District of Columbia. And officials in more than half of them have been told government workers implementing medical marijuana laws could face criminal charges.
But California, which in 1996 became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use, has come under special scrutiny. Its laws remain the nation’s most liberal, allowing doctors to issue pot recommendations for almost any ailment and giving local authorities broad discretion, but little guidance, in how to implement them.
The state’s laws stand in conflict with federal law, which holds marijuana is illegal substance with no recognized health benefits. And the current offensive is designed to make dispensaries and local government officials comply with it.
The primary tool the U.S. attorneys have used is threatening to seize the properties of landlords who knowingly leased farms or retail spaces to the commercial medical marijuana trade. But they also have filed criminal and civil charges against owners of nonprofit dispensaries they say were pocketing tons of money and furnishing pot to people who had no medical need for it. And in some cases, such as Mendocino’s, they have warned government officials.
“These licensing schemes are inconsistent with federal law,” Melinda Haag, Northern California’s U.S. attorney, said in October. “We are simply reminding local officials the ordinances are illegal.”
As part of the statewide crackdown, about 90 dispensaries in 19 Southern California cities were sent letters telling them to close or face possible criminal charges and fines. More than a dozen building owners where marijuana clinics were once located have been subjected to federal forfeiture lawsuits.
In Orange County, the city of Lake Forest had a dozen dispensaries operating a year ago. After officials sought help from federal prosecutors, only one pot shop remains.
In San Diego, the vast majority of the 180 or so pot shops whose landlords were sent warning letters have closed. And in unincorporated parts of Sacramento County, where the Board of Supervisors cited the federal crackdown when outlawing dispensaries, all 97 pot shops are gone.
“What the feds bring to the party is they can do things under their federal law that cities and counties and even the state of California cannot do,” said Jeffrey Dunn, an attorney who has helped Lake Forest and other Southern California cities shutter dispensaries. “There are no disputes about medicinal use because it doesn’t matter. If you are distributing marijuana, end of discussion.”
Federal authorities have not yet weighed into Los Angeles, where city officials tried to limit the number of pot shops two years ago and are now considering a total ban.
City officials believe there still may be hundreds of shops doing business right now. “As of today, we don’t know how many exist,” said special assistant city attorney Jane Usher. “The last thing they are inclined to do is to tell us they are open.”
Until Mendocino County officials bowed to pressure, the federal offensive was not very visible in pot-tolerant places either. In San Francisco, only five of the city’s 26 dispensaries have closed, with federal prosecutors saying they were targeted because of their proximity to places such as schools and playgrounds. Only one of neighboring Marin County’s six clinics closed, and Fairfax town officials appealed to keep it and its tax revenue.
Advocates and experts say Justice Department directives have sent mixed signals since the election of President Barack Obama –first saying that prosecutors would no longer pursue dispensaries following state law, then stating that cultivating, selling and distributing marijuana was still against the law.
The pressure by California’s federal prosecutors came in response to the second directive and the unsuccessful efforts by local governments to keep dispensaries in check, said McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney in Sacramento.
“The perception by proponents of medical marijuana was that, if they… were complying with state law, the feds were going to leave them alone,” Scott said. “I think what happened is, the administration realized they had made a mistake by taking the lid off.”
Supporters of medical marijuana have questioned why the federal government is derailing attempts to create legal frameworks for getting pot to people authorized to use it.
“They claim they don’t have any problem with individual medical marijuana patients accessing their medicine, but then go out of their way to prevent the creation of any kind of responsible system from being developed,” said Stephen Gutwillig, the Drug Policy Alliance’s director in California. “It’s basically a form of sabre rattling.”
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Residents of Mendocino County, the redwood and marijuana-rich territory in California’s fabled Emerald Triangle, thought they had reached detente in the decades-old clash between pot growers and local law enforcement two years ago when the sheriff agreed to stop raiding medical cannabis producers who paid to have their crops inspected.
For a $1,500 fee and adherence to rules over water usage, odor control and distance from neighbors, marijuana farmers working for groups of patients could grow up to 99 plants on five acres of land. Numbered red zip ties had be affixed to each plant, confirming the county’s seal of approval and giving a visiting deputy proof the pot was legally grown.
The one-of-a-kind program generated $663,230 for the sheriff’s department _ and prompted inquiries from other jurisdictions interested in creating their own.
But this month, the permitting system became the most striking casualty of the crackdown on medical marijuana cultivation and distribution by California’s federal prosecutors. The board of supervisors ended the experiment after the U.S. attorney for Northern California threatened take the county to court for helping produce an illegal drug.
“We thought we had something that was working and was making our life easier so we could turn our attention to other pressing matters,” Supervisor John McCowen said. “We were creating an above-ground regulatory framework that protected public safety and protected the environment. It was truly a landmark program.”
After four-and-a-half months, the federal government’s highly publicized offensive has reverberated unevenly throughout California. It has resulted in a near-total shutdown of storefront pot dispensaries in some cities that welcomed federal intervention. It has upset officials in pot-friendly places, who thought they had found the right formula for facilitating legal use. And it has created uncertainty in localities still struggling to curtail their pot outlets.
Medical pot is legal to varying degrees in 16 states and the District of Columbia. And officials in more than half of them have been told government workers implementing medical marijuana laws could face criminal charges.
But California, which in 1996 became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use, has come under special scrutiny. Its laws remain the nation’s most liberal, allowing doctors to issue pot recommendations for almost any ailment and giving local authorities broad discretion, but little guidance, in how to implement them.
The state’s laws stand in conflict with federal law, which holds marijuana is illegal substance with no recognized health benefits. And the current offensive is designed to make dispensaries and local government officials comply with it.
The primary tool the U.S. attorneys have used is threatening to seize the properties of landlords who knowingly leased farms or retail spaces to the commercial medical marijuana trade. But they also have filed criminal and civil charges against owners of nonprofit dispensaries they say were pocketing tons of money and furnishing pot to people who had no medical need for it. And in some cases, such as Mendocino’s, they have warned government officials.
“These licensing schemes are inconsistent with federal law,” Melinda Haag, Northern California’s U.S. attorney, said in October. “We are simply reminding local officials the ordinances are illegal.”
As part of the statewide crackdown, about 90 dispensaries in 19 Southern California cities were sent letters telling them to close or face possible criminal charges and fines. More than a dozen building owners where marijuana clinics were once located have been subjected to federal forfeiture lawsuits.
In Orange County, the city of Lake Forest had a dozen dispensaries operating a year ago. After officials sought help from federal prosecutors, only one pot shop remains.
In San Diego, the vast majority of the 180 or so pot shops whose landlords were sent warning letters have closed. And in unincorporated parts of Sacramento County, where the Board of Supervisors cited the federal crackdown when outlawing dispensaries, all 97 pot shops are gone.
“What the feds bring to the party is they can do things under their federal law that cities and counties and even the state of California cannot do,” said Jeffrey Dunn, an attorney who has helped Lake Forest and other Southern California cities shutter dispensaries. “There are no disputes about medicinal use because it doesn’t matter. If you are distributing marijuana, end of discussion.”
Federal authorities have not yet weighed into Los Angeles, where city officials tried to limit the number of pot shops two years ago and are now considering a total ban.
City officials believe there still may be hundreds of shops doing business right now. “As of today, we don’t know how many exist,” said special assistant city attorney Jane Usher. “The last thing they are inclined to do is to tell us they are open.”
Until Mendocino County officials bowed to pressure, the federal offensive was not very visible in pot-tolerant places either. In San Francisco, only five of the city’s 26 dispensaries have closed, with federal prosecutors saying they were targeted because of their proximity to places such as schools and playgrounds. Only one of neighboring Marin County’s six clinics closed, and Fairfax town officials appealed to keep it and its tax revenue.
Advocates and experts say Justice Department directives have sent mixed signals since the election of President Barack Obama _first saying that prosecutors would no longer pursue dispensaries following state law, then stating that cultivating, selling and distributing marijuana was still against the law.
The pressure by California’s federal prosecutors came in response to the second directive and the unsuccessful efforts by local governments to keep dispensaries in check, said McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney in Sacramento.
“The perception by proponents of medical marijuana was that, if they… were complying with state law, the feds were going to leave them alone,” Scott said. “I think what happened is, the administration realized they had made a mistake by taking the lid off.”
Supporters of medical marijuana have questioned why the federal government is derailing attempts to create legal frameworks for getting pot to people authorized to use it.
“They claim they don’t have any problem with individual medical marijuana patients accessing their medicine, but then go out of their way to prevent the creation of any kind of responsible system from being developed,” said Stephen Gutwillig, the Drug Policy Alliance’s director in California. “It’s basically a form of sabre rattling.”
____
Associated Press writer Greg Risling contributed to this article from Los Angeles.
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