Medical Marijuana Still OK In Imperial Beach

Robert Celt

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Imperial Beach City Council members recently confirmed an earlier decision to allow certain individuals to grow medicinal marijuana in the city while banning growing for commercial use.

An ordinance the council adopted Jan. 20 continues to allow medical marijuana cultivation for up to three primary caregivers and qualified patients.

The council was reacting to three bills Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in October. They are collectively known as the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. They go into effect this year.

Assembly Bill 243 preserves local control over medical marijuana cultivation if a city ordinance – allowing or banning growing – is in effect before March 1. It would default to state regulation if a local ordinance is not effect.

Although the city allows some growing of medical marijuana, Imperial Beach city code has never allowed medical marijuana dispensaries. Despite that, the city did adopt a moratorium on them in 2009 and 2010 to allow for time to study dispensary-related issues, including how to regulate them.

After numerous meetings discussing the issue, the City Council in 2011 adopted an ordinance to ban large-scale commercial medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

In 2012, Imperial Beach citizens put forward a measure that would have repealed the council's ordinance, but it failed at the polls.

The City Council first adopted the medical-pot growing ordinance Dec. 2.

Because commercial cultivation of marijuana is considered to be a matter of fitting land use and health/safety issues, city staff recommended the City Council adopt the proposed Jan. 20 ordinance, stating it would protect individual patient rights while maintaining the neighborhood and town character.

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News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Still OK In Imperial Beach
Author: Allison Sampite-Montecalvo
Contact: The San Diego Union-Tribune
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The San Diego Union-Tribune
 
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