Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
There will be a proposal on the November ballot to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in Long Beach - unless the City Council decides next week to just let it happen now.
City Clerk Maria de la Luz Garcia announced Monday afternoon that a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot had more than enough qualified signatures. A random sampling of signatures showed that on a projected basis at least 28,436 of the 35,009 signatures qualified.
Garcia now must prepare a Certification of Sufficiency and report it to the City Council - something that should happen at the July 12 council meeting. Then the council has the option to adopt the ordinance as presented, submit the ordinance to voters without alteration or order a report about the proposal.
If a report is ordered, the council would face the same alternatives - adopt the ordinance or put it to the voters - when that report is presented.
Long Beach has had a long and checkered history with medical marijuana since it was legalized in California two decades ago. A complicated lottery system was used to decide who could operate dispensaries, only to have that ordinance ruled unconstitutional in 2010.
The City Council put a ban in place then and started working toward a new set of regulations. However, no agreement could be reached through two council elections and changes of council members.
The latest effort was derailed last December, when a proposal came to the council for several dispensaries under a set of restrictions. An alternative to try a delivery-only system before allowing storefronts got a majority vote of a split council, but that alternative was blocked in February - dispensary proponents said a ban was preferable.
That's when Bob Kelton and dispensary supporters began circulating petitions for a more liberal ordinance. The law described in the petition would allow a dispensary for every 18,000 people in Long Beach, allow dispensaries in most zoning areas except residential with buffers to schools, tax the sale of medical marijuana at 6% and requires some operating standards.
Last month, Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price attempted to start a move toward placing a completing ordinance on the November ballot. When it became clear she didn't have the support for that, she switched to asking for a report on the impact if the ordinance proposed in the petition were passed.
Council members blocked that suggestion as well, with several saying that it was time to allow the public to vote on the issue.
Also last week, the secretary of state announced that a proposal to legalize recreational use of marijuana had qualified for the November ballot. It's unclear how legalization of recreational marijuana would impact ordinances dealing with distribution of medical marijuana.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Long Beach City Clerk Certifies Medical Marijuana Dispensary Petitions For November Ballot
Author: Harry Saltzgaver
Contact: 562-433-2000
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Gazettes
City Clerk Maria de la Luz Garcia announced Monday afternoon that a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot had more than enough qualified signatures. A random sampling of signatures showed that on a projected basis at least 28,436 of the 35,009 signatures qualified.
Garcia now must prepare a Certification of Sufficiency and report it to the City Council - something that should happen at the July 12 council meeting. Then the council has the option to adopt the ordinance as presented, submit the ordinance to voters without alteration or order a report about the proposal.
If a report is ordered, the council would face the same alternatives - adopt the ordinance or put it to the voters - when that report is presented.
Long Beach has had a long and checkered history with medical marijuana since it was legalized in California two decades ago. A complicated lottery system was used to decide who could operate dispensaries, only to have that ordinance ruled unconstitutional in 2010.
The City Council put a ban in place then and started working toward a new set of regulations. However, no agreement could be reached through two council elections and changes of council members.
The latest effort was derailed last December, when a proposal came to the council for several dispensaries under a set of restrictions. An alternative to try a delivery-only system before allowing storefronts got a majority vote of a split council, but that alternative was blocked in February - dispensary proponents said a ban was preferable.
That's when Bob Kelton and dispensary supporters began circulating petitions for a more liberal ordinance. The law described in the petition would allow a dispensary for every 18,000 people in Long Beach, allow dispensaries in most zoning areas except residential with buffers to schools, tax the sale of medical marijuana at 6% and requires some operating standards.
Last month, Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price attempted to start a move toward placing a completing ordinance on the November ballot. When it became clear she didn't have the support for that, she switched to asking for a report on the impact if the ordinance proposed in the petition were passed.
Council members blocked that suggestion as well, with several saying that it was time to allow the public to vote on the issue.
Also last week, the secretary of state announced that a proposal to legalize recreational use of marijuana had qualified for the November ballot. It's unclear how legalization of recreational marijuana would impact ordinances dealing with distribution of medical marijuana.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Long Beach City Clerk Certifies Medical Marijuana Dispensary Petitions For November Ballot
Author: Harry Saltzgaver
Contact: 562-433-2000
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Gazettes
