Palm Springs Council to Hold Vote on Medical Marijuana Ordinance

[Ganjarden]

The Palm Springs City Council is expected to hold off a vote tonight on a medical marijuana ordinance that would make it the first city in Riverside County to allow dispensaries.

City officials confirmed late this afternoon that the council will hold off the vote on the medical marijuana ordinance scheduled for its meeting at 6 p.m. today in the City Hall Council Chamber, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.

No reason was given for the decision to put off the vote.

The proposed law would allow dispensaries in areas of the city zoned for industrial or professional use. It would also require that any dispensaries in the city be organized as nonprofit collectives or cooperatives as specified in the medical marijuana guidelines that state Attorney General Jerry Brown issued in August.

The law would also prohbit dispensaries within 500 feet of schools, public playgrounds, parks or residential zones, or within 1,000 feet of another dispensary.

The city's Planning Commission last month voted to recommend an even broader law that would allow dispensaries in all non-residential areas if they obtained a conditional use permit.

But the staff report going to the council recommends the more limited approach.

Palm Springs has at least four dispensaries currently in operation: CannaHelp, 505A Industrial Place; the Collective Apothecary of Palm Springs, 1733 North Palm Canyon Drive; Community Caregivers, 333 N. Palm Canyon Drive; and The Holistic Collective of Palm Springs, 2235 N. Palm Canyon Drive.


News Hawk- Ganjarden http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: The Desert Sun
Author: K Kaufmann
Contact: The Desert Sun
Copyright: 2008 MyDesert.com
Website: Palm Springs Council to Hold Vote on Medical Marijuana Ordinance