VENTURA COUNTY I: District Attorney Open to Medical Pot Guidelines

      Ventura County prosecutors said Thursday that they would be willing to consider guidelines proposed by medical marijuana advocates on the cultivation and distribution of pot for qualified patients, the Los Angeles Times reports. Chief Asst. District Attorney Greg Totten's office told advocates that if they "want to come up with some standards," his office will "look at them." But Totten warned that local officials probably would hold off on establishing new policies until officials set statewide guidelines for Proposition 215, which allows patients with a doctor's recommendation to grow and use the plant to relieve symptoms of painful diseases, including AIDS and cancer. "There needs to be some effort to address this in a uniform way throughout the state," he noted. With no guidelines, prosecutors have been left to decide which cases to pursue on an individual basis (Wilson, 1/14).