California - Orland's ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives will remain in force through Dec. 6.
The City Council this week unanimously approved extending the ban while the courts review laws enacted by other cities like Anaheim.
State legislators also are looking at legalizing recreational marijuana, and that could impact the laws in the future, city attorney Tom Andrews said.
In December, the council opted to keep the ban going another 45 days, but declined to pass a proposed ordinance on the issue, Andrews reported.
Discussion came up in the fall after a nonprofit medicinal marijuana corporation applied for a business license in downtown Orland.
Andrews quickly developed an interim moratorium on such operations, citing health and safety concerns. He added the city had been in the process of developing a marijuana ordinance, but the application came up before it was finished.
California code allows for urgency measures to be approved under an interim zoning ordinance without having to follow the procedures otherwise required prior to the adoption of a zoning ordinance, a report from Andrews said. That urgency measure was approved in October and re-approved Dec. 7.
The recently extended ban will last 10 months and 15 days and prohibit any of the above facilities from coming inside the Orland city limits during that time.
This ban does not stop patients with a doctor's recommendation from using marijuana for medicinal purposes, nor does it stop physicians from recommending this treatment under the guidelines of Proposition 215, city officials said.
However, some California cities that have allowed such dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives have had problems when they were located near schools, daycare centers, residential properties and so on, Andrews said.
Illegal drug activity, burglaries and robberies have occurred around some dispensaries, he said.
Cities like Corning are dealing with these facilities at this time, Andrews added, and Redding may be in the future since it approved an ordinance allowing such activities. But it is too soon to see what problems might arise in Redding, he said. The Redding ordinance regulates where medical marijuana facilities are located along with the number that can come there.
Councilman Bruce Roundy said Corning is in the middle of the controversy and is trying to figure out what to do.
"We are not," Roundy said. "It is a good idea to wait until December and see what happens."
Vice Mayor Jim Paschall asked, "What we have now keeps them out?"
Andrews replied, it does.
Andrews also said the city would not have to draft another interim ordinance. It could simply extend the current one on a new motion from the council, and it passed unanimously.
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Orland Press Register
Author: Rick Longley
Contact: Homepage : Orland Press Register
Copyright: 2010 Freedom Communications
Website:Orland extends pot dispensary ban
The City Council this week unanimously approved extending the ban while the courts review laws enacted by other cities like Anaheim.
State legislators also are looking at legalizing recreational marijuana, and that could impact the laws in the future, city attorney Tom Andrews said.
In December, the council opted to keep the ban going another 45 days, but declined to pass a proposed ordinance on the issue, Andrews reported.
Discussion came up in the fall after a nonprofit medicinal marijuana corporation applied for a business license in downtown Orland.
Andrews quickly developed an interim moratorium on such operations, citing health and safety concerns. He added the city had been in the process of developing a marijuana ordinance, but the application came up before it was finished.
California code allows for urgency measures to be approved under an interim zoning ordinance without having to follow the procedures otherwise required prior to the adoption of a zoning ordinance, a report from Andrews said. That urgency measure was approved in October and re-approved Dec. 7.
The recently extended ban will last 10 months and 15 days and prohibit any of the above facilities from coming inside the Orland city limits during that time.
This ban does not stop patients with a doctor's recommendation from using marijuana for medicinal purposes, nor does it stop physicians from recommending this treatment under the guidelines of Proposition 215, city officials said.
However, some California cities that have allowed such dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives have had problems when they were located near schools, daycare centers, residential properties and so on, Andrews said.
Illegal drug activity, burglaries and robberies have occurred around some dispensaries, he said.
Cities like Corning are dealing with these facilities at this time, Andrews added, and Redding may be in the future since it approved an ordinance allowing such activities. But it is too soon to see what problems might arise in Redding, he said. The Redding ordinance regulates where medical marijuana facilities are located along with the number that can come there.
Councilman Bruce Roundy said Corning is in the middle of the controversy and is trying to figure out what to do.
"We are not," Roundy said. "It is a good idea to wait until December and see what happens."
Vice Mayor Jim Paschall asked, "What we have now keeps them out?"
Andrews replied, it does.
Andrews also said the city would not have to draft another interim ordinance. It could simply extend the current one on a new motion from the council, and it passed unanimously.
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Orland Press Register
Author: Rick Longley
Contact: Homepage : Orland Press Register
Copyright: 2010 Freedom Communications
Website:Orland extends pot dispensary ban
