Jacob Bell
New Member
A hot-button topic will return to the Dixon City Council tonight as the council decides what do to about medical marijuana dispensaries.
As it stands, the city has an existing ban on marijuana dispensaries that was put in place in September 2009. The council voted to approve an ordinance that forbid the issuing of permits or licenses to anyone wishing to open a medical marijuana dispensary or cooperative.
Back then the vote passed by a margin of 3-2, with Mayor Jack Batchelor, Councilman Mayor Rick Fuller and then-Councilwoman Kay Cayler voting in favor of the ordinance and council members Dane Besneatte and Michael Ceremello voting against it.
Fast forward to January 2011 during the first city council meeting of the year, the Dixon City Council — now with a new member, Thom Bogue — discussed medical marijuana dispensaries and heard comments from the public about the matter — both in favor of and against allowing the dispensaries or collectives in town.
Tonight, the council will essentially decide to do away with the ban or not. And if it does do away with the ban, it will need to decide with what to replace the ordinance.
Should it decide to do away with the ban, it could consider going back to what was in place before it — an ordinance that came with some regulatory provisions and deemed that marijuana was lawful in certain zones and called for users to have a permit. Council could also adopt a draft ordinance that was presented back in 2009 around the same time that the council voted to ban dispensaries.
That ordinance, presented to the council on Aug. 26, 2009, came with stricter regulatory provisions and allowed for medical marijuana dispensaries only if the dispensary operated as a cooperative or collective.
"However, in order to be a true cooperative/collective under the law, the supplier of marijuana must also be a member of the cooperative/collective, and no marijuana may be supplied outside of the cooperative/collective," according to a City of Dixon staff report.
The council could also direct city staff to draft a new ordinance that includes standards for development or requirements for permits or licenses. It could also direct staff city staff to provide more information about the issue.
Nevertheless, if the ban goes away, it opens the door for medical marijuana dispensaries to open up shop in Dixon.
A double-edged sword
Should a medical marijuana dispensary open up shop in Dixon, it would essentially be a double-edged sword in terms of the financial and environmental that the city would have to endure according to a city staff report.
The report reads: "If dispensaries are permitted in the City of Dixon, the increased activity in areas surrounding them could require an increase in law enforcement response as well. Crimes committed in and around dispensaries could result in a drain on personnel resources, and a financial cost to investigate and prosecute offenders."
At the same time the report states that medical marijuana dispensaries are subject to sales tax, even if they don't make a profit. It also states that the dispensary could charge application and permit fees that would bring in further revenues and help offset administrative costs and the costs associated with the potential increase in law enforcement response.
As far as the environmental impacts involved with medical marijuana dispensaries goes, the city staff report said that dispensaries attract numerous other crimes.
"There is a great deal of debate on both sides of the issue over the affect of dispensaries on crime," the report states.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m., inside the chambers of the Dixon City Council. Those who cannot attend the meeting can view it online at the city's web site.
News Hawk- GuitarMan313 420 MAGAZINE
Source: dixon.patch.com
Author: Carlos Villatoro
Contact: About Us
Copyright: Patch
Website: Medical Marijuana on Tonight's City Council Agenda
As it stands, the city has an existing ban on marijuana dispensaries that was put in place in September 2009. The council voted to approve an ordinance that forbid the issuing of permits or licenses to anyone wishing to open a medical marijuana dispensary or cooperative.
Back then the vote passed by a margin of 3-2, with Mayor Jack Batchelor, Councilman Mayor Rick Fuller and then-Councilwoman Kay Cayler voting in favor of the ordinance and council members Dane Besneatte and Michael Ceremello voting against it.
Fast forward to January 2011 during the first city council meeting of the year, the Dixon City Council — now with a new member, Thom Bogue — discussed medical marijuana dispensaries and heard comments from the public about the matter — both in favor of and against allowing the dispensaries or collectives in town.
Tonight, the council will essentially decide to do away with the ban or not. And if it does do away with the ban, it will need to decide with what to replace the ordinance.
Should it decide to do away with the ban, it could consider going back to what was in place before it — an ordinance that came with some regulatory provisions and deemed that marijuana was lawful in certain zones and called for users to have a permit. Council could also adopt a draft ordinance that was presented back in 2009 around the same time that the council voted to ban dispensaries.
That ordinance, presented to the council on Aug. 26, 2009, came with stricter regulatory provisions and allowed for medical marijuana dispensaries only if the dispensary operated as a cooperative or collective.
"However, in order to be a true cooperative/collective under the law, the supplier of marijuana must also be a member of the cooperative/collective, and no marijuana may be supplied outside of the cooperative/collective," according to a City of Dixon staff report.
The council could also direct city staff to draft a new ordinance that includes standards for development or requirements for permits or licenses. It could also direct staff city staff to provide more information about the issue.
Nevertheless, if the ban goes away, it opens the door for medical marijuana dispensaries to open up shop in Dixon.
A double-edged sword
Should a medical marijuana dispensary open up shop in Dixon, it would essentially be a double-edged sword in terms of the financial and environmental that the city would have to endure according to a city staff report.
The report reads: "If dispensaries are permitted in the City of Dixon, the increased activity in areas surrounding them could require an increase in law enforcement response as well. Crimes committed in and around dispensaries could result in a drain on personnel resources, and a financial cost to investigate and prosecute offenders."
At the same time the report states that medical marijuana dispensaries are subject to sales tax, even if they don't make a profit. It also states that the dispensary could charge application and permit fees that would bring in further revenues and help offset administrative costs and the costs associated with the potential increase in law enforcement response.
As far as the environmental impacts involved with medical marijuana dispensaries goes, the city staff report said that dispensaries attract numerous other crimes.
"There is a great deal of debate on both sides of the issue over the affect of dispensaries on crime," the report states.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m., inside the chambers of the Dixon City Council. Those who cannot attend the meeting can view it online at the city's web site.
News Hawk- GuitarMan313 420 MAGAZINE
Source: dixon.patch.com
Author: Carlos Villatoro
Contact: About Us
Copyright: Patch
Website: Medical Marijuana on Tonight's City Council Agenda
