65A - RPT - REGARDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Beyond any question, this White Paper is the product of a major cooperative effort among representatives of numerous law enforcement agencies and allies who share in common the goal of bringing to light the criminal nexus and attendant societal problems posed by marijuana dispensaries that until now have been too often hidden in the shadows. The critical need for this project was first recognized by the California Police Chiefs Association, which put its implementation in the very capable hands of CPCA's Executive Director Leslie McGill, City of Modesto Chief of Police Roy Wasden, and City of El Cerrito Chief of Police Scott Kirkland to spearhead. More than 30 people contributed to this project as members of CPCA's Medical Marijuana Dispensary Crime/Impact Issues Task Force, which has been enjoying the hospitality of Sheriff John McGinnis at regular meetings held at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Headquarters Office over the past three years about every three months. The ideas for the White Paper's components came from this group, and the text is the collaborative effort of numerous persons both on and off the task force. Special mention goes to Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco and Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Jacqueline Jackson, who allowed their Office's fine White Paper on Medical Marijuana: History and Current Complications to be utilized as a partial guide, and granted permission to include material from that document. Also, Attorneys Martin Mayer and Richard Jones of the law firm of Jones & Mayer are thanked for preparing the pending legal questions and answers on relevant legal issues that appear at the end of this White Paper. And, I thank recently retired San Bernardino County Sheriff Gary Penrod for initially assigning me to contribute to this important work. Identifying and thanking everyone who contributed in some way to this project would be well nigh impossible, since the cast of characters changed somewhat over the years, and some unknown individuals also helped meaningfully behind the scenes. Ultimately, developing a White Paper on Maryuana Dispensaries became a rite of passage for its creators as much as a writing project. At times this daunting, and sometimes unwieldy, multi-year project had many task force members, including the White Paper's editor, wondering if a polished final product would ever really reach fruition. But at last it has! If any reader is enlightened and spurred to action to any degree by the White Paper's important and timely subject matter, all of the work that went into this collaborative project will have been well worth the effort and time expended by the many individuals who worked harmoniously to make it possible. Some of the other persons and agencies who contributed in a meaningful way to this group venture over the past three years, and deserve acknowledgment for their helpful input and support, are: George Anderson, California Department of Justice Jacob Appelsmith, Office of the California Attorney General John Avila, California Narcotics Officers Association Phebe Chu, Office of San Bernardino County Counsel Scott Collins, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Cathy Coyne, California State Sheriffs' Association Lorrac Craig, Trinity County Sheriffs Department Jim Denney, California State Sheriffs' Association Thomas Dewey, California State University-Humboldt Police Department Dana Filkowski, Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office John Gaines, California Department of Justice/Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement Craig Gundlach, Modesto Police Department John Harlan, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office-Major Narcotics Division © 2009 California Police Chiefs Assn All Rights Reserved 65A-56