40 Local Doctors Endorse Measure B

"We urge you to join us and vote Yes on Measure B," say 40 local physicians together with other medical professionals who have signed a Health Professionals endorsement for the ballot measure on local marijuana policy.

Recently, the medical staff of the Ukiah Valley Medical Center voted almost unanimously to endorse Measure B.

The Health Professionals endorsement for Measure B is circulating among physicians elsewhere in Mendocino County and the list of physician endorsers is expected to grow.

"The medical community is very unhappy with the fraudulent misuse of the compassionate medical marijuana program as a front for the rampant commercial growing of marijuana for profit, with all the harmful impacts that has caused the county," said Dr. Robert Werra.

This overwhelming support from the medical community is an important factor in the election campaign, since the opponents of Measure B have relied on statements by two local doctors who give out medical marijuana recommendations.

Under Proposition 215 and the subsequent state law SB 420, any person is protected from state prosecution under marijuana laws if they possess a physician's recommendation and if the amount in their possession is less than the limit prescribed under law.

Under SB 420, the statewide medical marijuana limit is 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants plus 1/2 pound of dried marijuana, but individual counties can adopt higher limits. Another important part of SB 420 is a provision that any medical patient can possess a higher amount of marijuana if a physician certifies that their condition requires it.

Mendocino County adopted a 25-plant limit. Measure B will reduce that limit to the same as the statewide standard. Measure B will also repeat Measure G from 2000, which tried to block local enforcement of all marijuana laws.

Among the medical professionals who have endorsed Measure B are:

Baltins	Aldis	MD
Blackwelder	Robert S	MD
Burris	Fredrick	MD
Cabaniss	Patty	MD
Chan	Theron	MD
Coen	Lynn	MD
Cortina	Pablo G	MD
Coursey	Donald	Physician
DeBooy	David	MD
Falk	Larry	MD
French	Lisa	Ultrasound Technician
Frye	Fredric	DVM
Goldberg	Sam	MD
Hanna	Ziad	DO
Hanna	Iyad	MD
Hardy	Russell	MD
Henderson	Bonnie	Family Nurse Practitioner
Hoek	Kenneth	MD
Ives	Chris	MD
Jackson	Valerie	ST
Jepson	Paul F	MD
Kalmar	Tanya	MD
Kesler	Kim	SUN
Kilkenny	Martha	Family Nurse Practitioner
Kilkinney	Thomas	MD
Koeninger	Laura	Registered Nurse
Leamon	Sue	Family Nurse Practitioner
Lemke	Bernard	MD
Lodge	Rick	MD
Lund	Jason	Pharmacist
Marks	Norma	MD
Matossian	Harry	MD
Morrison	Dale	Cardiologist
Portnoff	Jon	MD
Pretorius	James	MD
Rice	Geoffrey	MD
Smith	Philip	MD
Tamanaha	Philip	MD
Taylor	Patrick	Family Nurse Practitioner
Teran	Guy	MD
Trent	Jason	MD
Trotter MD	Marvin	MD County public health officer
Valente	Vincent P	MD
Vinding	Jens	MD
Werra	Robert	MD
Whelan	Kirsten	MD