Inside UDJ by Editor K.C. Meadows

For those of you out there interested in the debate over how much medical marijuana is enough and how it should be supplied, there's a interview by Russ Emal passed along to me by King Collins of greenmac.com with Dr. Milan Hopkins, an Upper Lake physician with 35 years of practice in general medicine. He prescribes medical pot and provides a monthly free clinic. The interview by Emal discusses the 25 plants or 2 pounds rule and many other aspects of medical marijuana. You can check it out at http://www.greenmac.com/SmartMouth/.

Well known local Republican Margie Handley of Willits has been named State Chair of the California Campaign for Rudy Giuliani. She shares that role with Tod Burnett, who will represent the Sacramento/LA areas.

Meanwhile, county Democrats held a straw poll on Election Day and here's the press release they issued:
"New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson led the pack of Democratic presidential
nominees at the Straw Poll Party held the night of Election Day at the
Harbor Lite Lodge in Fort Bragg. Hosted by the Mendocino Coast Democratic
Club, the event featured an informative candidate presentation by community
supporters of the various candidates.
"Rachel Binah, a Democratic National Committeewoman and strong Richardson
supporter, introduced the New Mexico governor to the crowd and was delighted
to find him the top vote getter. 'He has the most experience ,' she said.
'And he's got all the credentials I'm
looking for in our next president, so I'm delighted with this small but
important result.'
"Richardson received twenty-seven percent of the votes cast. Senator
Barack Obama came in second with twenty percent, followed by Congressman
Dennis Kucinich (18%), Senator Hilary Clinton (16%), former Senator John
Edwards (9%), Senator Joseph Biden, Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Mike
Gravel (each 2%) and one percent undecided.
"A video compiled by Richard Karch of Mendocino showed vignettes of campaign
ads, debates, and other clips on each of the candidates. In addition to
Binah, six other community members made short impassioned presentations on
their favorite candidates.
"Obama was represented by Susan Nutter, Mendocino Coast co-chair of Obama for
President. Pat Karch, Chair of the Health Care Committee of the Mendocino
Coast Democratic Club, spoke for Kucinich. Val Muchowski, Mendocino County
Chair of the National Women's Political Caucus touted Clinton's record and
accomplishments. Kenny Jowers, President of Democrats United for Progress on
the south Mendocino Coast spoke in his native South Carolina drawl for
Edwards. Grail Dawson, Chair of the Iraq Committee of the Mendocino Coast
Democrats, spoke on behalf of Gravel, whom he said, 'was for all the issues I'm for!'
Rick Childs of Mendocino spoke for Biden and Miles Everett, Mendocino Coast
Democratic Club Executive Committee member, supported the
candidacy of Dodd.
"This straw poll joins three others sponsored by the County Democratic
Central Committee. The previous unscientific straw polls were taken at the
Democratic Labor Day Picnic in
Ukiah as well as at booths at the Redwood Empire Fair in Ukiah and the
Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show in Boonville. The top vote getter from
those polls was Senator Hillary Clinton, who received 33% of the votes. She
was followed by Obama (27%), Edwards (19%), Kucinich (11%), Richardson
(6%) and Biden (.5%). Former vice president Al Gore received
three votes total.
"Mendocino Democratic Club Chairman Jeff Tyrrell summed up the straw polls this
way, 'it goes to show how local Democrats are still all over the board when
it comes to making that final decision on who the nominee will be.'
"For more information about getting involved in the 2008 presidential
elections contact Mendocino Coast Club Chair Tyrrell at 937-3142 or
Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee Chair Jim Mastin at 468-8809.