Robert Celt
New Member
At a D.C. Council session on Wednesday–one that many advocates didn't see coming until shortly before it occurred due to a lack of public notice–the Committee on the Judiciary approved draft language of a permanent ban on "cannabis clubs" that would bar people from consuming marijuana in private venues outside of their homes, such as lounges.
Activists and policymakers have debate the issue since last year, when the Council approved emergency legislation prohibiting such establishments in March. That emergency legislation was renewed on Jan. 5, by a 9-4 vote among the Council's Committee of the Whole. (It remains in effect until April 13.) The permanent version of the ban in the draft approved today mirrors existing law; the full Council must vote on it in future first and second readings.
"This is not a topic on which the committee wishes to move recklessly," Judiciary Chairman and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said, citing a Congressional rider that prevents the District from using federal funds to regulate pot. There are currently "no licensing, zoning codes, and public-health standards" for weed clubs. (Theoretically, the District could establish those regulations by drawing from reserve funds to get around the rider.)
Before a vote was taken, Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans made a procedural motion to table consideration of the bill. "Whatever we approve here becomes the new standard," he explained of his motion. "We should therefore work between now and [April 13] to find a solution and not rush through" passing the legislation.
That motion was defeated 3 to 3, with Evans, LaRuby May, and Anita Bonds voting yes, and McDuffie, Mary Cheh, and Phil Mendelson voting no. Mendelson joined the committee in his role as chairman of the Council, a configuration permitted by Council rules. Without his vote, advocates claim, the legislation would have been tabled.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: D.C. Council Committee Approves Language For Permanent Cannabis Club Ban
Author: Andrew Giambrone
Contact: Washington City Paper
Photo Credit: none found
Website: Washington City Paper
Activists and policymakers have debate the issue since last year, when the Council approved emergency legislation prohibiting such establishments in March. That emergency legislation was renewed on Jan. 5, by a 9-4 vote among the Council's Committee of the Whole. (It remains in effect until April 13.) The permanent version of the ban in the draft approved today mirrors existing law; the full Council must vote on it in future first and second readings.
"This is not a topic on which the committee wishes to move recklessly," Judiciary Chairman and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said, citing a Congressional rider that prevents the District from using federal funds to regulate pot. There are currently "no licensing, zoning codes, and public-health standards" for weed clubs. (Theoretically, the District could establish those regulations by drawing from reserve funds to get around the rider.)
Before a vote was taken, Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans made a procedural motion to table consideration of the bill. "Whatever we approve here becomes the new standard," he explained of his motion. "We should therefore work between now and [April 13] to find a solution and not rush through" passing the legislation.
That motion was defeated 3 to 3, with Evans, LaRuby May, and Anita Bonds voting yes, and McDuffie, Mary Cheh, and Phil Mendelson voting no. Mendelson joined the committee in his role as chairman of the Council, a configuration permitted by Council rules. Without his vote, advocates claim, the legislation would have been tabled.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: D.C. Council Committee Approves Language For Permanent Cannabis Club Ban
Author: Andrew Giambrone
Contact: Washington City Paper
Photo Credit: none found
Website: Washington City Paper
