It’s a love/hate thing

This year has been quite a doozy when it comes to medical marijuana in Butte County.

For instance, the county passed a cultivation ordinance early this summer and the city followed suit, adding a zoning allowance for dispensaries. Then a group, Citizens for Compassionate Use, put together a successful referendum on the county ordinance. And a scare-tactics letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento convinced the Chico City Council to repeal its dispensary ordinance.

So, we’re back to square one on local legislation. But, as CN&R Editor Robert Speer reveals by looking at the dispensary situation in Redding, it certainly doesn’t have to be this way.

And that’s not all. Last year’s dispensary raids have had a crippling effect on many of those involved, despite the fact that charges have been filed in just one of eight cases.

Add to that law enforcement’s war on the cartels that are growing in and harming our forests, and we have an ever-evolving list of issues to explore.

We chose three to highlight in this space, but please browse through the other sections of the paper as well for other medical-cannabis features.