County supes consider regulating the medical marijuana industry from farm to consumer.

Monterey County Supervisor John Phillips chuckles when he talks about his interest in regulating and protecting the medical cannabis industry. He admits it’s a little weird for someone like him – a Republican ex-prosecutor – to take up the cause.

But since taking office in January, Phillips has heard from a number of constituents and their representatives, asking for a county policy on pot. “Some of them were pretty credible people,” Phillips says.

One was PR strategist David Armanasco, who’s repping growers (although he won’t say who). “They believe there are areas in the Salinas Valley that will be good for cultivation of medical marijuana,” he says.

Another was attorney Aaron Johnson of law firm L+G. Johnson, who is also repping growers he won’t name, says he’s met individually with all five supervisors to ask for cannabis regulations, particularly for growers when it comes to farming and issues like grading and building and securing greenhouses.

“This is a land-use decision,” Johnson says. “We’ve already determined the ethical or moral questions as a state on whether or not we should have it.”

Since California voters approved the Compassionate Use Act in 1996, 45 of California’s 58 counties have developed localized regulations governing medical marijuana. Phillips was persuaded Monterey County should join the trend: “It’s only right we have a clear policy about marijuana usage.”

Phillips met June 18 with some county heavyweights to talk about what might be involved in regulating cannabis production. Planning Director Mike Novo, District Attorney Dean Flippo, County Counsel Charles McKee and Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen all attended.

They’ll likely all have some role in fine-tuning any future rules, but the group agreed Novo’s team was best equipped to get started.

The next day, June 19, Phillips submitted a referral to the County Administrative Office asking for medical cannabis regulations to be a high-priority item.

Novo and county planners will present options at the next the Board of Supervisors meeting July 7. At Phillips’ request, they’ll recommend a 45-day moratorium on industry activity while they set to writing an ordinance.

“We don’t want to prohibit growing by a patient or caregiver,” Novo says. “We’re just looking at a temporary moratorium for big commercial operations, taking a time-out to develop regulations that address those.”

Some small business owners hope permanent regulations bear that out. John DeFloria and Aram Stoney are co-owners of Big Sur Cannabotanicals, a medical marijuana home delivery service. Together, they drive all over the Peninsula, Carmel Valley and Big Sur coast, delivering candies, tinctures and balms to 200 customers, mostly older women struggling with chronic pain.

Stoney and DeFloria plan to speak at the July 7 Board of Supervisors meeting to ask for a local-preference policy protecting small businesses.

“Big Sur is the Napa of marijuana,” DeFloria says. “We want to represent our region and our neighbors, and help them stay alive in the growing business.”