LONG BEACH - Medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives in Long Beach could soon face strict regulations - including where they can open and how many can operate - under a proposal approved Monday.
The City Council's three-member Economic Development and Finance Committee - composed of council members Rae Gabelich, Tonia Reyes Uranga and Gary DeLong - voted unanimously to have the city attorney and city prosecutor work together to create a regulatory ordinance. The new regulations are to be returned to the committee on Nov. 9 and then sent to the full council for approval.
The committee expressed a sense of urgency in regulating what legally should be non-profit collectives but that many public officials fear are becoming illegal businesses. The number of medical marijuana facilities has exploded in recent months, with more than 40 estimated in Long Beach and more than 800 in Los Angeles.
"The longer we wait, the more we have to deal with," Uranga said.
The ordinance would be based on rules that Gabelich proposed Tuesday, though medical marijuana patients and collective operators told the committee they opposed some of the restrictions.
Gabelich's recommended rules include restricting the number of cooperatives and collectives to nine in all of Long Beach; prohibiting them from operating in a residential zone and within 1,000 feet of any school, public library, licensed child care facility or other medical marijuana facilities; and restrictions on signage and advertising, operating hours, and marijuana use on site.
Medical marijuana proponents said they were concerned about restricting the location, hours and number of facilities because the sites need to be accessible to patients. Some were against prohibiting advertising outside the facilities as well because, they said, patients need to know where to find medical marijuana.
However, two residents who live near Long Beach City College said, as other speakers did at last month's committee meeting, that the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries has created problems in the neighborhoods where they are located.
Equal benefits ordinance
Also Monday, the committee forwarded to the full council a recommendation to implement an equal benefits ordinance, which would require city contractors that provide benefits to employees' spouses to do the same for domestic partners.
The law was spurred by Councilman Robert Garcia largely to give equal benefits to gay couples.
After questions arose about how the ordinance would be enacted at last month's committee meeting, city staff outlined their proposal, which the committee supported.
In the first year of the program, businesses that have contracts of more than $100,000 with the city would have to provide equal benefits. After the first year, the threshold would drop to $25,000, though city officials would re-evaluate whether that is the appropriate amount.
The law would apply to businesses that lease city property if they produce more than $350,000 in annual revenue for the city. Lease-holders would be affected only when they have new or renewed leases.
Director of Community Development Dennis Thys reported that 87 organizations with city leases might eventually be impacted. However, he said he didn't know what the ultimate financial impact of implementing the ordinance would be as companies that bid on city contracts adjust to the ordinance.
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Press Telegram
Author: Paul Eakins
Contact: Home - Press-Telegram
Copyright: Los Angeles Newspaper group
Website:Council committee votes to regulate medical pot - Press-Telegram
The City Council's three-member Economic Development and Finance Committee - composed of council members Rae Gabelich, Tonia Reyes Uranga and Gary DeLong - voted unanimously to have the city attorney and city prosecutor work together to create a regulatory ordinance. The new regulations are to be returned to the committee on Nov. 9 and then sent to the full council for approval.
The committee expressed a sense of urgency in regulating what legally should be non-profit collectives but that many public officials fear are becoming illegal businesses. The number of medical marijuana facilities has exploded in recent months, with more than 40 estimated in Long Beach and more than 800 in Los Angeles.
"The longer we wait, the more we have to deal with," Uranga said.
The ordinance would be based on rules that Gabelich proposed Tuesday, though medical marijuana patients and collective operators told the committee they opposed some of the restrictions.
Gabelich's recommended rules include restricting the number of cooperatives and collectives to nine in all of Long Beach; prohibiting them from operating in a residential zone and within 1,000 feet of any school, public library, licensed child care facility or other medical marijuana facilities; and restrictions on signage and advertising, operating hours, and marijuana use on site.
Medical marijuana proponents said they were concerned about restricting the location, hours and number of facilities because the sites need to be accessible to patients. Some were against prohibiting advertising outside the facilities as well because, they said, patients need to know where to find medical marijuana.
However, two residents who live near Long Beach City College said, as other speakers did at last month's committee meeting, that the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries has created problems in the neighborhoods where they are located.
Equal benefits ordinance
Also Monday, the committee forwarded to the full council a recommendation to implement an equal benefits ordinance, which would require city contractors that provide benefits to employees' spouses to do the same for domestic partners.
The law was spurred by Councilman Robert Garcia largely to give equal benefits to gay couples.
After questions arose about how the ordinance would be enacted at last month's committee meeting, city staff outlined their proposal, which the committee supported.
In the first year of the program, businesses that have contracts of more than $100,000 with the city would have to provide equal benefits. After the first year, the threshold would drop to $25,000, though city officials would re-evaluate whether that is the appropriate amount.
The law would apply to businesses that lease city property if they produce more than $350,000 in annual revenue for the city. Lease-holders would be affected only when they have new or renewed leases.
Director of Community Development Dennis Thys reported that 87 organizations with city leases might eventually be impacted. However, he said he didn't know what the ultimate financial impact of implementing the ordinance would be as companies that bid on city contracts adjust to the ordinance.
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Press Telegram
Author: Paul Eakins
Contact: Home - Press-Telegram
Copyright: Los Angeles Newspaper group
Website:Council committee votes to regulate medical pot - Press-Telegram
