May 18, 2010 — Many people are weighing in on both sides of the marijuana debate ever since the Lassen County Board of Supervisors passed the 45-day moratoria on the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries and the cultivation of medical marijuana in the unincorporated areas of the county.

There are solid arguments on both sides of the marijuana issue, which is gaining popularity throughout the state as the November election draws near. People don’t want it grown near their children. It helps people deal with chronic pain. It can be a gateway drug that can lead to abuse. Regardless of which side you stand on, its obvious it’s not as cut and dry as could have been originally predicted in Lassen County. Historically, Lassen County has been a conservative leaning community. Any issue involving marijuana in the county has generally been cut across Republican and Democratic party lines.    

Granted, it could be a small number of people who are more vocal about a subject than the majority, but it’s surprising that more people gave comments in favor of marijuana use than those who opposed it at a study session held by the Lassen County Board of Supervisors at Jensen Hall on Tuesday, May 11.   

The important point to remember is to keep the debate in context. The issue has been around Lassen County for a long time, from last year’s drug bust that ended in gunfire and a Sheriff’s deputy getting shot to the dispensary that opened six years on Johnstonville Road The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office is right in that areas of cultivation have an increased risk of armed robbery, burglary, traffic and exposing minors to marijuana. However, it may not be the devil drug many make it out to be either, as it has obvious implications in pain relief. The debate can get heated on both sides and tempers can flare. As with any debate, it’s important to look at all sides of an issue before  weighing in, and people from different walks of life are going to have different opinions.    

In these days of financial hardship and stress within the state of California, there is almost no issue that can be classified as a clear-cut case of right and wrong. The county has 45 days from May 12 to make a decision. The reason why it’s up to them is because its zoning and land use issue which is not affected by state or federal law.    

Whether you are for or against the amount of medical marijuana that exists in the community, just remember to keep a cool head and not escalate the situation to a violent ultimatum. Context and moderation in all things tend to lead to the best decisions.