Jacob Bell
New Member
The oldest city in Solano County could become the first to authorize medical marijuana dispensaries tonight when the Benicia City Council considers a recommendation from its planning commission to study such a program.
Councilmembers also could agree to a new 10-year trash hauling deal with Allied Waste Services, the city's trash collector for years.
Tonight's regular meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Benicia City Hall at 250 East L St.
But at 6 p.m., the council plans a budget workshop to study the latest bad news on shortfalls in tax collection, which threaten the city's barely balanced budget for the current fiscal year.
Benicia's council already has been forced to cut programs and employee wage packages to deal with falling revenue.
The marijuana issue took many residents by surprise after the Planning Commission rejected a staff recommendation to ban the facilities and voted unanimously to look into the feasibility of hosting the facilities in the small city on the Carquinez Strait.
No Solano cities have approved medical marijuana dispensaries, although several are believed to be operating in nearby Vallejo, the county's largest city, and in Vacaville further east.
State legislation setting up a system for such facilities on a community-by-community basis was approved in 2003, seven years after the state's voters approved Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized marijuana possession for medical reasons.
Federal law still bans possession of any marijuana, but the Obama adminstration remains committed to respecting laws in the 14 states that allow it, including California.
Benicia was incorporated as a city shortly after California became a state in 1850 and was the state capital in 1853 and for a few months in 1854.
The historic capitol still stands on the city's main street and is now a state historic park.
News Hawk- GuitarMan313 420 MAGAZINE
Source: examiner.com
Author: Nathan Salant
Contact: Contact
Copyright: Clarity Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com
Website: Benicia City Council could approve medical marijuana dispensaries
Councilmembers also could agree to a new 10-year trash hauling deal with Allied Waste Services, the city's trash collector for years.
Tonight's regular meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Benicia City Hall at 250 East L St.
But at 6 p.m., the council plans a budget workshop to study the latest bad news on shortfalls in tax collection, which threaten the city's barely balanced budget for the current fiscal year.
Benicia's council already has been forced to cut programs and employee wage packages to deal with falling revenue.
The marijuana issue took many residents by surprise after the Planning Commission rejected a staff recommendation to ban the facilities and voted unanimously to look into the feasibility of hosting the facilities in the small city on the Carquinez Strait.
No Solano cities have approved medical marijuana dispensaries, although several are believed to be operating in nearby Vallejo, the county's largest city, and in Vacaville further east.
State legislation setting up a system for such facilities on a community-by-community basis was approved in 2003, seven years after the state's voters approved Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized marijuana possession for medical reasons.
Federal law still bans possession of any marijuana, but the Obama adminstration remains committed to respecting laws in the 14 states that allow it, including California.
Benicia was incorporated as a city shortly after California became a state in 1850 and was the state capital in 1853 and for a few months in 1854.
The historic capitol still stands on the city's main street and is now a state historic park.
News Hawk- GuitarMan313 420 MAGAZINE
Source: examiner.com
Author: Nathan Salant
Contact: Contact
Copyright: Clarity Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com
Website: Benicia City Council could approve medical marijuana dispensaries
