UKIAH -- Leading Mendocino County physicians Tuesday endorsed a local ballot measure to sharply limit marijuana cultivation, calling current county guidelines "fraudulent."

Some of the best-known doctors in the Ukiah Valley joined three dozen others in the medical community to endorse Measure B. If passed in the upcoming June primary, the initiative would impose new local restrictions on the amount of pot individuals may grow and use.

Among the signers were Dr. Frederick Burris, Dr. Don Coursey, Dr. Thomas Kilkinney, Dr. Bernard Lemke, Dr. Harry Matossian, Dr. Jon Portnoff, Dr. Vincent Valente, Dr. Jens Vinding, and Dr. Marvin Trotter, the county's public health officer.

"The medical community is very unhappy with the fraudulent misuse of the compassionate medical marijuana program as a front for rampant commercial growing," said Dr. Robert Werra.

Under Proposition 215, passed statewide in 1996, and subsequent state law, an individual is protected from state prosecution if he has a physician's recommendation and if the amount in his possession is within local guidelines.

State law set a medical marijuana limit of six mature marijuana plants plus ½ pound of dried marijuana. But the legislation allows individual counties to adopt higher limits.

In 2000, Mendocino voters approved a measure allowing an individual to grow up to 25 plants for personal use, without regard to medical reasons. The measure also directed local law enforcement authorities to make marijuana prosecution the lowest priority.

Medical marijuana advocates are fighting back, contending the current public backlash is being fueled by exaggerated claims of profits, crime and neighborhood fears.

"Measure B does nothing to stop commercial growers. Instead it makes criminals out of residents with small, personal-use gardens," said Laura Hamburg, campaign coordinator for the No On Measure B campaign.
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