CA: Danville Modifies Marijuana Ordinance Post-Prop 64

Katelyn Baker

Well-Known Member
Danville – Following the lead of other East Bay cities including Pittsburg, Campbell, Antioch and Martinez, Danville recently updated its medical marijuana bans to apply to almost all marijuana – a change made in light of the November passage on Prop. 64 legalizing recreational pot.

The Danville Town Council first discussed and approved the updates on Dec. 20, and they were adopted on Jan. 10.

In January 2016, the Town Council prohibited the cultivation, processing or delivery of medical marijuana in Danville. Since Nov. 8's passage of Prop. 64, the council decided to broaden its existing ban to basically cover all marijuana, medical or not.

On Dec. 20, Town Attorney Robert Ewing told the council Prop. 64 allowed cities and counties to enact whatever "reasonable regulations" they deem fit concerning the chief aspect of Prop. 64 cities can't overrule – the right to grow up to six plants inside a home for personal consumption. Such regulations in Danville's ordinance include a ban on gas products (butane, for example) to help grow marijuana, and a maximum of 1,000-watt grow lights.

Also, areas where marijuana is grown must be off-limits to anyone under age 21, including through locks or other security systems, and a fire extinguisher must be kept nearby.

Though Danville's new pot ordinance (and its old one regulating only medical marijuana) expressly prohibit deliveries of the drug to homes, council members debated that point again, as they did a year ago while considering the medical pot law.

Noting the Planning Commission had earlier supported allowing deliveries of medical pot, Councilman Robert Storer said he concurred. If the drug helps people in some situations, and if someone is sick enough to benefit from it, he said, those patients can't always go out and buy it.

"If someone's in need ... why would I be in any position to enforce that (ban)?" Storer said. "If that's what helps you at the end of your life, I think we should take a look at that."

But other council members didn't want to open that door just yet, though most said they remain open to the possibility of medicinal marijuana delivery in the future.

Councilman Newell Arnerich said that with such deliveries, all too often "the wrong people get it." However, he said he would be willing to revisit the issue one day.

Mayor Renee Morgan suggested that perhaps requiring recipients to sign for deliveries would answer some concerns.

"I'm willing to have that conversation when the gray areas in the law are made less gray," Arnerich said.

prop64.jpg


News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Danville Modifies Marijuana Ordinance Post-Prop 64
Author: Sam Richards
Contact: 408-920-5000
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: East Bay Times
 
Back
Top Bottom