Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Although members of the Malibu Planning Commission voted to deny a marijuana dispensary to the Malibu Community Collective (MCC), members of the Malibu City Council left the issue in limbo at its meeting March 9.
It could take somewhere in the ballpark of two and a half months, but City Council members voted to continue MCC's permit pending a revision to the City's zoning text that forbids the "on-site" sale of food and liquor with marijuana.
"On-site" was the key phrase that tripped up the Planning Commission when it heard the item months ago, and when assistant city attorney Tarquin Preziosi informed the Commission that "on-site" can be interpreted as on a project's lot in different buildings, rather than the literal sale of the items in the same retail space.
Currently, MCC is seeking to locate in a retail space adjacent to Colony House Liquor, which would fall under the on-site" definition.
City Council member Skylar Peak suggested City staff, when wordsmithing a zoning text amendment, replace "on site" to reflect a connotation akin to "no in-store sales or consumption" or marijuana with liquor and food.
"I think that's a way to fix this, and it sucks it would take a month or two months to get that done," Peak said. "I think it's absolutely lame when we lead a business owner or investor down a path to throw money at this, and at the last second, someone pulls the rug out from under their feet . . . but I think the most compelling thing is to do a zoning text amendment and clean this up."
Mayor John Sibert said he was in support of medical marijuana dispensaries in Malibu, but drew hesitation from the ambiguity that cropped up from the phrase "on-site."
"I understand there's an ambiguity with what we're dealing with here, and it worries me," Sibert said. "I want to see us fix this and fix it by making the ordinance work better and define it in a better way ... [and] I am uncomfortable approving this without zone text amendment."
Sibert and Peak also paused to reflect on the larger issue of medical marijuana and the State of California.
"I am supportive of medical marijuana," Sibert said. "I think it makes sense and I think we'll eventually pass laws making it legal."
Peak even conjectured medical marijuana could be legal statewide within a decade.
"It's probably going to be two to four years before our state votes on this in its entirety, and it will likely be legalized," he said before focusing back on MCC's location. "I really believe that this is a safe location ... to my knowledge we haven't had problems with the liquor store existing now."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: City Council stalls marijuana dispensary approval | Malibu Surfside News
Author: Chris Bashaw
Contact: Contact Us | 22nd Century Media
Photo Credit: Reset.me
Website: Malibu Surfside News | Malibu Local News
It could take somewhere in the ballpark of two and a half months, but City Council members voted to continue MCC's permit pending a revision to the City's zoning text that forbids the "on-site" sale of food and liquor with marijuana.
"On-site" was the key phrase that tripped up the Planning Commission when it heard the item months ago, and when assistant city attorney Tarquin Preziosi informed the Commission that "on-site" can be interpreted as on a project's lot in different buildings, rather than the literal sale of the items in the same retail space.
Currently, MCC is seeking to locate in a retail space adjacent to Colony House Liquor, which would fall under the on-site" definition.
City Council member Skylar Peak suggested City staff, when wordsmithing a zoning text amendment, replace "on site" to reflect a connotation akin to "no in-store sales or consumption" or marijuana with liquor and food.
"I think that's a way to fix this, and it sucks it would take a month or two months to get that done," Peak said. "I think it's absolutely lame when we lead a business owner or investor down a path to throw money at this, and at the last second, someone pulls the rug out from under their feet . . . but I think the most compelling thing is to do a zoning text amendment and clean this up."
Mayor John Sibert said he was in support of medical marijuana dispensaries in Malibu, but drew hesitation from the ambiguity that cropped up from the phrase "on-site."
"I understand there's an ambiguity with what we're dealing with here, and it worries me," Sibert said. "I want to see us fix this and fix it by making the ordinance work better and define it in a better way ... [and] I am uncomfortable approving this without zone text amendment."
Sibert and Peak also paused to reflect on the larger issue of medical marijuana and the State of California.
"I am supportive of medical marijuana," Sibert said. "I think it makes sense and I think we'll eventually pass laws making it legal."
Peak even conjectured medical marijuana could be legal statewide within a decade.
"It's probably going to be two to four years before our state votes on this in its entirety, and it will likely be legalized," he said before focusing back on MCC's location. "I really believe that this is a safe location ... to my knowledge we haven't had problems with the liquor store existing now."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: City Council stalls marijuana dispensary approval | Malibu Surfside News
Author: Chris Bashaw
Contact: Contact Us | 22nd Century Media
Photo Credit: Reset.me
Website: Malibu Surfside News | Malibu Local News
