With the departure of its chairwoman in the next few months, the Nevada County chapter of a longtime medical marijuana advocacy group will be greatly reducing its presence in the community. Patricia Smith says it’s due, in part, to her rental home being sold and turned into a duplex, which won’t allow her to grow it anymore, plus a related job opportunity in Sutter County, where she has lived in the past. The local chapter of Americans For Safe Access has about 1,000 members. But Smith says although she’ll be phasing out her longterm involvement with community groups and meetings, she’ll still keep members informed..

click to listen to Patricia Smith

Meanwhile, Smith says it’s unclear if medical marijuana advocates will have representation on the community committee that will be putting together a permanent growing ordinance next year, although presentations at committee meetings will be allowed. And she hopes the newly-formed Nevada County Cannabis Alliance will be able to fill at least some of the void…

click to listen to Patricia Smith

After Proposition 64 passed, earlier this month, Smith said she did not like the prospect of merging regulations for both the recreational and medical marijuana industries, including patients also having to be taxed, which is why she opposed it. Smith will be director of community relations for a medical marijuana delivery company.