Long Beach, CA. - City Council members took steps – at times confusing, complex steps – toward putting restrictions on medical marijuana collectives that have started to spring up all over Long Beach.
The end result is that in about a month, City Attorney Robert Shannon will come back with a new draft ordinance for the City Council to debate, along with a matrix of the myriad of suggestions by council members on things that could be added or subtracted from the ordinance.
Tuesday night's debate had some council members seeking enough restrictions to make it almost impossible to open a medical marijuana collective in the city. Others said this is medicine and should be allowed the same way drug stores are.
But with council members hearing complaints from residents about the increase in medical marijuana storefronts – and with an election five months away – most seemed like they wanted to do something.
"Not all the collectives have been great neighbors..." said First District Councilman Robert Garcia. "If they are a nuisance, then they need to be dealt with as a nuisance."
However, a number of opponents of the ordinance suggested that the City Council was going too far with the limits.
"(The draft ordinance) does appear to be quite onerous, more so than faces any other business in the city," said Naples Attorney Richard C. Brizendine, who represents the Belmont Shore Natural Care center.
Council members worked off a draft ordinance presented by Shannon. The second draft will include a number of features:
- Storefronts would need to be in commercial or industrial areas and not within 1,000 feet of a school, child care facility or another medical marijuana collective (and 1,500 feet from a high school). Also, the facilities could only operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- There would be a cap on the number of collectives allowed in the city, and possibly restrictions on how many per council district so certain areas do not end up with an over concentration.
- The collectives would need to register with the city of Long Beach for a license, something they do not have to do now.
- To get that license, they would have to provide the city with the names of members of the collective. However, the council wanted a way to protect the privacy and names of the patients. This was one of the most contentious issues, and something opposed by collective members and operators.
- An Administrative Use hearing, which would allow the city flexibility in adding conditions would be required. The results of that hearing could be appealed to the City Council.
- There would be limits on how much marijuana could be on site, but edible products with marijuana in them could be sold.
- Other potential restrictions include concerns about odor from the locations, allowing time for the existing collectives to become legal in the city if the owner so wishes, and more.
That draft will be back before the City Council in about one month.
, likely for considerably more discussion.
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Gazettes Town-News
Author: Kurt Helin
Contact: Gazettes Town-News
Copyright: 2009 Gazettes Town-News
Website:Gazettes Town-News > Community News
The end result is that in about a month, City Attorney Robert Shannon will come back with a new draft ordinance for the City Council to debate, along with a matrix of the myriad of suggestions by council members on things that could be added or subtracted from the ordinance.
Tuesday night's debate had some council members seeking enough restrictions to make it almost impossible to open a medical marijuana collective in the city. Others said this is medicine and should be allowed the same way drug stores are.
But with council members hearing complaints from residents about the increase in medical marijuana storefronts – and with an election five months away – most seemed like they wanted to do something.
"Not all the collectives have been great neighbors..." said First District Councilman Robert Garcia. "If they are a nuisance, then they need to be dealt with as a nuisance."
However, a number of opponents of the ordinance suggested that the City Council was going too far with the limits.
"(The draft ordinance) does appear to be quite onerous, more so than faces any other business in the city," said Naples Attorney Richard C. Brizendine, who represents the Belmont Shore Natural Care center.
Council members worked off a draft ordinance presented by Shannon. The second draft will include a number of features:
- Storefronts would need to be in commercial or industrial areas and not within 1,000 feet of a school, child care facility or another medical marijuana collective (and 1,500 feet from a high school). Also, the facilities could only operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- There would be a cap on the number of collectives allowed in the city, and possibly restrictions on how many per council district so certain areas do not end up with an over concentration.
- The collectives would need to register with the city of Long Beach for a license, something they do not have to do now.
- To get that license, they would have to provide the city with the names of members of the collective. However, the council wanted a way to protect the privacy and names of the patients. This was one of the most contentious issues, and something opposed by collective members and operators.
- An Administrative Use hearing, which would allow the city flexibility in adding conditions would be required. The results of that hearing could be appealed to the City Council.
- There would be limits on how much marijuana could be on site, but edible products with marijuana in them could be sold.
- Other potential restrictions include concerns about odor from the locations, allowing time for the existing collectives to become legal in the city if the owner so wishes, and more.
That draft will be back before the City Council in about one month.
, likely for considerably more discussion.
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Gazettes Town-News
Author: Kurt Helin
Contact: Gazettes Town-News
Copyright: 2009 Gazettes Town-News
Website:Gazettes Town-News > Community News
