Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/20128
Monday, November 22, 2010 – Daily News – 7A POT Continued from page 1A decline. The state’s loose standards for medical marijuana use allow Californians to easily obtain a doctor’s recom- mendation for the drug. Yet the law provides lit- tle guidance for how patients or their care- givers can legally culti- vate the drug, which has forced growers under- ground. Oakland officials hoped to bring pot growing into the light and curtail the environ- mental damage, fire danger and crime asso- ciated with covert grow houses. The City Council over the summer autho- rized four permits for large-scale growing. The permits would not set limits on the amount of pot that could be grown, but growers would have to imple- ment environmental pro- tections, security, labor standards, transparent finances and inventory tracking. Permit holders would have to pay an annual $211,000 fee as well as a special higher tax rate levied on marijuana businesses by the city. About 300 individu- als and groups have expressed interest in obtaining cultivation or dispensary permits, city records show. First on that list is Debby Goldsberry, a longtime fixture on the Northern California medical marijuana scene and a founder of Berke- ley Patients Group, a pot dispensary in operation for more than 10 years. Goldsberry said that two-thirds of her dis- pensary’s patients live in Oakland, indicating a a need for more medical marijuana outlets. ‘‘As an Oakland resi- dent, I’m very interested in expanding any indus- try that can help our city,’’ Goldsberry said. Goldsberry also cam- paigned for Berkeley’s Measure T, which authorizes up to six 30,000-square-foot growing facilities in the city. Also on Oakland’s list is a Boston-based company called Pharma- sphere Systems. Chief executive David Dar- lington says the compa- ny is not interested in obtaining a permit for BAN Continued from page 1A ucts from being sold in Cali- fornia. Regulators could also enforce fines of $25,000 a day per violation or jail time against officials of compa- nies or other people selling products with banned chem- icals. Environmental groups said they supported the law because they wanted to pre- vent situations where manu- facturers replaced one toxic ingredient with another, such as replacing asbestos in car brake-pads with copper, which is toxic for waterways, or using toxic cadmium instead of lead in children’s jewelry — a development reported by The Associated Press in January. ‘‘We have a system now where chemicals are inno- cent until proven guilty which is an appropriate stan- dard for criminal justice but not for chemical safety,’’ said Bill McGavern with the Sier- ra Club. For their part, companies itself but in partnering with a grower who would use Pharmas- phere’s indoor growing technology. Right now, the only plant Pharmasphere grows is Madagascar periwinkle, which con- tains compounds used in chemotherapy to treat some kinds of cancer. But Darlington says the business opportunity presented by medical marijuana outweighs any stigma that might be attached to being associ- ated with pot. ‘‘We clearly think that the risk is manage- able and that the market is potentially so large that you can’t ignore it,’’ he said. How large? An eco- nomic analysis prepared for a nonprofit seeking one of the Oakland cul- tivation permits found that a 100,000 square- foot growing facility could generate up to $71 million in annual sales. Under the city’s newly approved special 5 percent tax on medical marijuana businesses, sales from just that one facility would result in more than $3.5 million in additional tax rev- enue. The report also esti- mates that the operation would create more than 370 jobs with an aver- age annual salary of nearly $54,000. Growers anticipate such high returns that one developer says he has received serious inquiries from about a half-dozen would-be growers for what could be Berkeley’s most cov- eted pot-growing real estate — a defunct ink factor being offered for $2.5 million. The 1.5 acre site includes a 37,000- square-foot building with high ceilings ideal for growing marijuana and thick concrete walls that make the facility easier to secure. James Madsen of Orton Development, who is coordinating the sale, said potential buy- ers have established businesses and appear serious about delving into the science of culti- vating marijuana as a medical treatment. ‘‘For us, it wasn’t an industry we sought out. It sought us out,’’ Mad- sen said. said they supported the mea- sure because changes to their products would be scientifi- cally based and no longer a knee-jerk response to the lat- est product scandal. They also hoped the law would create a wave of safe product innovation and interest among consumers similar to advancements in green building. The bill passed the Assembly with a two-thirds majority vote but since the drafting process began, dis- agreements have been on the rise. ‘‘Our regulatory propos- als are intended to prevent California from becoming a toxic dumping ground,’’ said Maziar Movassaghi, acting director for the regulatory agency. ‘‘Our goal is to make sure there is compliance but some companies are going to invest in research and devel- opment and some companies are going to invest in lawyers.’’ The Green Chemistry Coalition, which represents corporations ranging from major drug companies to Courtesy photo Colton and Austin Youngblood show their pheasants from the Nov. 7 Junior Pheasant Hunt sponsored by California Fish and Game in the Bend area. Mixed blessings in Pope’s comments COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Some Catholic believers in the Americas greeted Pope Benedict XVI’s com- ments on condoms as a sign that the church was stepping into the modern debate in the fight against AIDS, though the church was adamant Sun- day that nothing has changed in its views banning contraception. Churchgoers had praise and wari- ness for the pope’s comments that con- doms could be morally justified in some limited situations, such as for male prostitutes wanting to prevent the spread of HIV. Others cautioned it could open a doctrinal Pandora’s box. And the exact meaning of what the pope said was still up for interpretation. ‘‘That’s a theological mind trap,’’ said Wendy Lasekan, a 47-year-old stay-at-home mom, after Sunday morning Mass at Saint Michael Catholic Church in Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. ‘‘In some cases, it would be justifi- able — or acceptable — to use a con- dom,’’ she said. ‘‘If your goal would be to prevent the spread of AIDS, that would be a charitable act.’’ Ellen Reik, a 79-year-old retired housewife who attended Saint Michael, said if taken out of context, the pope’s remarks could renew the debate over the morality of birth con- trol — both as a contraceptive and a means to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Several more believers who spoke to The Associated Press following Sunday services in the United States and South America felt the pope’s comments marked a tenta- tive step into a more modern stance in the global fight against AIDS. Jean Jasman, an 81-year-old state worker from Montpelier, Vt., called the stance a departure from church doc- Boeing Co., believes the reg- ulations go too far. The law was supposed to apply to consumer products but the current definition is so inclu- sive that everything bought, sold or leased in the state is considered a consumer prod- uct, said John Ulrich, execu- tive director for the Chemical Industry Council of Califor- nia. Another problem, he said, is that the proposed list of what chemical traits might be considered hazardous includes everything from carcinogens to skin irritants. ‘‘This means that every chemical in the state of Cali- fornia becomes a potentially regulated chemical and every industry becomes a poten- trine on condom use, ‘‘but it’s to the betterment of humanity, if we can help prevent the spread of this horrendous disease.’’ Lois Breaux rolled her eyes when asked about the Pope’s statements as she was leaving Mass at St. Kieran Church in the Coconut Grove neigh- borhood of Miami. ‘‘About time — and it wasn’t enough,’’ she said. ‘‘As a Catholic, they need to recognize this is an epidemic. The church needs to stand up and say what he did, but he should have gone further.’’ Vatican officials strongly empha- sized Sunday that the church’s position on contraception has not changed. The pope spoke in an interview given to a German journalist. Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano on Saturday published excerpts from the book, ‘‘Light of the World,’’ three days ahead of publication. In the interview, Benedict says that in certain cases, such as for a male prostitute, condom use could be a first step in assuming moral responsibility for stemming the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. The Holy See’s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, stressed that Benedict was not ‘‘morally justifying’’ the unbridled exercise of sexuality and the church’s main advice in the fight against AIDS remains the same: pro- moting sexual abstinence and fidelity among married couples. The pope’s comments caught some followers off-guard with the frank dis- cussion of a taboo topic. ‘‘I was shocked. I thought, ’Why even mention that?’ It was unneces- sary,’’ said Joan Caron, 86, of Oldtown, Maine, who attended Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption in Balti- more, the nation’s oldest Roman tially regulated industry,’’ said Ulrich. Scientists and conserva- tionists call that a gross exag- geration. They worry that because the state hasn’t set aside additional funding for the effort it won’t actually be able to commit enough staff to enforce the regulations. They have also raised concerns that the state’s timeline in identifying a short list of toxic chemicals and products is too slow. This week DTSC cut that timeline significantly by proposing to identify a prior- ity list of chemicals within one year and identifying a list of products in another year. The agency also nar- Catholic cathedral. ‘‘I was just shocked that he’d even bring the word up.’’ In Brazil, home to more Roman Catholics than any other country, 71- year-old Idalina Fernandes said she thought it was strange when she first heard the news. ‘‘The pope and the church had been criticized for being too strict regarding this subject, but I guess we can’t close our eyes to the problems we have today in the world,’’ said Fernandes, who helps organize Masses at a small church in Sao Paolo. ‘‘I never thought the pope would say something like that, but the world is different today, the Church seems to know that.’’ The fine distinctions in the pope’s comments were clear to Cliff Krieger, 68, of Lowell, Mass., who said it was good that the discussion on preventing disease was taking place, though he generally approves of the church’s position on contraception. ‘‘I think that the church is saying that use of condoms is missing the point about what sex is about,’’ he said. ‘‘There are a lot of people who are ... just using it for pleasure for them- selves, as they might be using cocaine on the weekend. So I think the church’s stand is generally a pretty good one.’’ Speaking shortly before Mass began at St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church in Lakewood, N.J., 42-year-old Jason Randall said he strongly supports the church’s position that forbids the use of condoms and other contraceptives. But he felt the pope’s comments show that sometimes exceptions are needed for almost every rule. ‘‘I know it’s a cliche to put it this way, but if it helps prevent even one death or one person getting sick, it’s worth it,’’ Randall said. rowed the definition of a con- sumer product in California and said for now it will focus on personal care and clean- ing products and products that children under the age of 12 would use. Despite the disagree- ments most call the law a huge first step in what will likely be a very long process. ‘‘This is a big project for society,’’ said Guth, who is on the state’s scientific advi- sory panel. ‘‘It’s going to take many decades and I think you have to look at it from that perspective.’’ GreenWaste of Tehama A Waste Connections Company WASTE CONNECTIONS INC. Connect with the Future® Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day are the only holidays observed, in which, all routes do not operate, and our Customer Service Office is closed. Please note the schedule below for changes to your collection day: For example: If your regular collection day is Thursday, November 25, your holiday collection day will be the following day, Friday, November 26. REGULAR Collection Day HOLIDAY Collection Day THANKSGIVING DAY (CLOSED) Thursday, November 25 Friday, November 26 Friday, November 26 Saturday, November 27 If you have further questions, please contact GreenWaste of Tehama’s Customer Service at 530-528-8500. Have a safe and happy holiday!