CA: Medical Marijuana Rules In The Works For SLO County

Robert Celt

New Member
San Luis Obispo County has begun the process of developing an ordinance that will govern the cultivation of medical marijuana in the county.

County supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to begin drafting the law that would regulate the number and size of the plants that could be grown as well as their location and whether they are grown indoors or outdoors.

Guy Savage, assistant county administrative officer, said he did not have a timeline for when a draft ordinance would be ready for review by supervisors; however, any new law would ideally be in place by the end of the year.

An initiative that would legalize all uses of marijuana is expected to be on the November ballot, and it is expected to be approved by voters.

"I think we need to act in a timely fashion so that we are ready when marijuana is legalized," Supervisor Bruce Gibson said.

At the end of last year, supervisors considered adopting an emergency ordinance because a new state law gave counties a deadline of March 1 to put a medical marijuana law in place or lose control of it to the state. However, a subsequent law lifted that deadline, giving the county time to develop a permanent ordinance.

Several supervisors said they want to make sure the ordinance would protect neighbors from noxious smells generated by marijuana grows.

The supervisors were unanimous in their support of the bill, but Supervisor Lynn Compton had some concerns. She said the ordinance would disproportionately affect her district because Nipomo is where all the greenhouses in the county are located.

"It is four times more profitable to grow high-quality marijuana in a greenhouse," she said. "I don't want Nipomo to bear the brunt of medical marijuana cultivation."

Savage said the county would coordinate with neighboring counties because many of them are drafting similar ordinances. The ordinance would be the subject of several public hearings before it is adopted.

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News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CA: Medical Marijuana Rules In The Works For SLO County
Author: David Sneed
Contact: The Tribune
Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi
Website: The Tribune
 
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