December 16, 2011

MINUTES
Friday, December 16, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400, San Francisco, California

1. Call to order and roll call
The meeting was called to order by Task Force chair, Eric Pearson, at 9:10 a.m.
Present: Erich Pearson - Chair
Sarah Shrader - Vice Chair
Maureen Burns
Stewart Rhoads
Jean Talleyrand
Stephanie Tucker
Shona Gochenaur
Leonard Watkins
Martin Olive
Brent Saupe
Absent: Hunter Holliman (excused)
Raymond Gamley (excused)
2. Approval of Minutes of October 21, 2011 meeting
No public comments were made. Minutes of October 21, 2011 meeting was approved.

3. Approval of Agenda for meeting
Discussion was held. No public comments were made. Agenda was approved to have item #6, presentation by Quintin Mecke, moved to whenever he arrives, and add an item to discuss future meeting dates and time.

4. General Public Comments
General public comments were heard.

5. Pack Decision - Submitted by Sarah Shrader & Stephanie Tucker
Presentation of situation of Pack vs. City of Long Beach was made by Sarah Shrader. Task force discussion followed and paused for guest speaker.

Larry Kessler, from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, spoke and answered questions by the task force.

Task force discussion continued on Pack Decision. Larry Kessler spoke in clarifying discussion points of task force. Derek St. Pierre, chair of task force Legal/Legislative committee, was asked to respond to task force questions.

No public comments were made. Stewart Rhoads was voted and approved to provide list of questions to the Legal/Legislative committee for insight and advice around issues to raise to Board of Supervisors.

6. Review bylaws
Discussion was held on modifying the task force bylaws. Public comments were made. Task force approved:
• Committees may have odd or even number membership.
• Three absences from properly noticed committee meetings, with or without an excuse, will result in automatic loss of membership status.
• A committee chair need not be a member of the task force. Committees may submit recommendation(s) for the position to the task force.
• A committee member from each committee shall report at the task force meetings.
• Committees must have at least two task force members who sit on the task force.
• Committee chairs not calling meetings two times in a row is considered negligent in duties.
. Stewart Rhoads will update the bylaws and submit for review and approval at the next meeting.

7. Future meeting times
Discussion was held. Public comments were made. The item was tabled to be decided later.

Recess was held.

8. Medical Cannabis Task Force Committee reports:
A. Legal/Legislative
The last meeting did not have quorum.
B. Patient Advocacy
Shona Gochenhaur reported for the Patient Advocacy Committee. The committee created a subcommittee on hospice concerns. A presentation was made by Brent Saupe on Self Consumptive Gardens. Stewart Rhoads presented on a proposal on tie program that came from the cultivation committee, and discussed current issues.
C. Cultivation
Stewart Rhoads reported out on the Cultivation Committee. The committee discussed the Pack case and other community concerns.

Brent Saupe spoke on what he presented on Self Consumptive Gardens; recommending any number of patients, instead of the current limit of 9, can participate in a collective with a limit the number of plants to 216, which is what is allowable today, resulting in better cost effectiveness for low income patients.

The committee also discussed cable tie program.

Stewart was voted and approved, after no public comments were made, to be the chair of the Cultivation Committee.
D. Outreach
Stephanie Tucker reported that the committee did not meet.
E. Veterans
Maureen Burns reported that the committee did not make quorum at its last meeting. No meeting will be held in December due to the holidays.

9. Review committee memberships and vote on new applications for all committees
Kennan Scott applied for Legal, Outreach, and Patient Advocacy Committee. Discussion was held. Questions were asked of Derek St. Pierre, chair of the Legal Committee. Public comments were made. The task force approved to table any actions on Kennan Scott, until he is able to attend a future meeting for Q&A.

Discussion held on new task force members joining committees. Public comments were made. It was approved to have Leonard Watkins join the Patient Advocacy and Veterans committees.

10. Federal Interference Update
Quintin Mecke, Communication Director to Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, spoke on a meeting with U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. Q&A was held by the task force.

11. Definition and clarity of compassionate care, discount programs
Item is to be suspended to the next meeting.

12. Topics for consideration at future task force meetings
Suggestions for future meetings include:
• Invite Dr. Frank Lucido to speak
• SRO rights
• Self consumptive gardens
• Emergency safe access plans
• Discussion on plans and intention of MCTF regarding federal situation

13. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

Minutes taken by Carol Lei