Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Antioch - The city temporarily has banned some uses of non-medical marijuana that would be allowed under a state ballot measure to buy itself time while deciding how to regulate the drug.
Antioch councilmembers unanimously agreed Tuesday to an urgency ordinance that places a moratorium on growing marijuana outdoors as well as on commercial uses if Proposition 64 passes.
The proposition would take effect immediately; the City Council's prohibitions will remain in effect for 45 days, after which they could be extended for an additional 10½ months.
Prop. 64 would legalize the recreational use of marijuana, allowing anyone over the age of 21 to possess up to a certain amount of the drug as long as it is not at schools or other facilities where children are present.
The law also would permit adults to buy, smoke and transport marijuana as well as grow up to six plants either indoors or outdoors as long as they are not visible to the public.
However, Prop. 64 also gives cities the option of banning the outdoor cultivation of non-medical marijuana for personal use and allows them to regulate - although not prohibit - growing the plants indoors.
For example, local governments could require individuals propagating pot inside to submit to home inspections as a way of mitigating fire risks and preventing water waste.
Similarly, although the new state law would allow businesses to sell marijuana, it also authorizes cities to ban that retail activity or restrict where merchants can operate and require them to get a local license in addition to the one that Sacramento will require.
The moratorium that the City Council approved exercises these rights by prohibiting a variety of commercial activities including growing, selling and distributing the drug.
Alanna Everhart, who works for a social services organization at Bay Point's Riverview Middle School, spoke in favor of a local ban on cultivating cannabis outdoors during the public hearing held before the council's vote.
"The more people (who) are allowed to grow, the easier it is for youth to access marijuana," she said, noting that the result would be increased drug use among minors as well as robberies and other crime.
"I have recently heard students joking about how they will be able to reach over their neighbor's fence and grab as much as they want if the proposition passes," Everhart said.
Because Prop. 64 is focused solely on recreational marijuana use, its passage would not lift Antioch's existing ban on cultivating medical marijuana.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Antioch Bans Outdoor Marijuana Grows As Prop. 64 Passes
Author: Rowena Coetsee
Contact: 408-920-5000
Photo Credit: Eric Risberg
Website: East Bay Times
Antioch councilmembers unanimously agreed Tuesday to an urgency ordinance that places a moratorium on growing marijuana outdoors as well as on commercial uses if Proposition 64 passes.
The proposition would take effect immediately; the City Council's prohibitions will remain in effect for 45 days, after which they could be extended for an additional 10½ months.
Prop. 64 would legalize the recreational use of marijuana, allowing anyone over the age of 21 to possess up to a certain amount of the drug as long as it is not at schools or other facilities where children are present.
The law also would permit adults to buy, smoke and transport marijuana as well as grow up to six plants either indoors or outdoors as long as they are not visible to the public.
However, Prop. 64 also gives cities the option of banning the outdoor cultivation of non-medical marijuana for personal use and allows them to regulate - although not prohibit - growing the plants indoors.
For example, local governments could require individuals propagating pot inside to submit to home inspections as a way of mitigating fire risks and preventing water waste.
Similarly, although the new state law would allow businesses to sell marijuana, it also authorizes cities to ban that retail activity or restrict where merchants can operate and require them to get a local license in addition to the one that Sacramento will require.
The moratorium that the City Council approved exercises these rights by prohibiting a variety of commercial activities including growing, selling and distributing the drug.
Alanna Everhart, who works for a social services organization at Bay Point's Riverview Middle School, spoke in favor of a local ban on cultivating cannabis outdoors during the public hearing held before the council's vote.
"The more people (who) are allowed to grow, the easier it is for youth to access marijuana," she said, noting that the result would be increased drug use among minors as well as robberies and other crime.
"I have recently heard students joking about how they will be able to reach over their neighbor's fence and grab as much as they want if the proposition passes," Everhart said.
Because Prop. 64 is focused solely on recreational marijuana use, its passage would not lift Antioch's existing ban on cultivating medical marijuana.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Antioch Bans Outdoor Marijuana Grows As Prop. 64 Passes
Author: Rowena Coetsee
Contact: 408-920-5000
Photo Credit: Eric Risberg
Website: East Bay Times
