Fighting the county

In reaction to the Butte County Board of Supervisors’ Feb. 11 adoption of a more restrictive medical-marijuana ordinance, pro-pot growers are gathering signatures for a referendum that would force the board to either drop the ordinance or put it to a vote. The referendum effort comes from a group called the Butte County Citizens Against Irresponsible Government.

Proponents have until March to gather signatures of 10 percent of the registered county voters, which equates to about 7,600. If they succeed, the county’s ordinance, which was set to go into effect March 11, will be suspended for 30 days while the signatures are verified; if they are, the board must then decide whether to drop it or put the ordinance on the June ballot.