Robert Celt
New Member
Two different ballot initiatives to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in Long Beach are working their ways through the city attorney and city clerk's offices, and advocates could be on the streets collecting signatures next month.
Initiatives from Bob Kelton and Larry King were filed after the City Council failed to approve any form of dispensary and reaffirmed its ban at the Feb. 2 council meeting. A proposal to allow a delivery-only dispensary was before the council at that meeting; that option superseded a maximum of nine storefront dispensaries or cooperatives at the Dec. 8 meeting.
Neither initiative will be on a ballot until the Nov. 8 presidential election. City Clerk Maria de la Luz Garcia said there is not enough time to complete the process to get on the June 7 state primary.
King, who has run for City Council and served on the Medical Marijuana Tax Force, agreed to be the petitioner on a proposal put together by attorney Matt Pappas and promoted by political consultant Jason Aula. Almost identical to a proposition circulating in Signal Hill, the initiative would allow an unlimited number of dispensaries in any land use zone as long as the business was 600 feet from schools.
Dispensaries or collectives would be required to obtain a city business license and sales would be taxed, but conditional use permits would not be required. Dispensaries would be allowed to create on-site smoking lounges and operate from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. It also states that, "Medical Cannabis-related activities shall be the lowest possible priority of the Police Department," and requires the city to help find marijuana for patients if federal enforcement activities significantly disrupt supply.
The King initiative also would set testing standards for marijuana and marijuana derivatives. It would set aside at least 1% by weight of medical marijuana to be distributed free to low-income cooperative members.
King's proposed petition went to the City Attorney's office for a ballot title and summary, and was delivered by to the city clerk on Tuesday. Proponents can begin collection signatures as early as next week.
Benton actually had his proposal in to the city clerk's office before King, but withdrew it to make changes and resubmitted it last week. City Attorney Charles Parkin said his office was working on the summary now, and it would be returned by March 5. Details of the proposition were not available.
When Garcia releases the ballot title and summary to the proponents, they will have 180 days to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. That number is 10% of the number of registered voters in the last general election – 249,089. So about 24,900 signatures from registered voters are required.
The city clerk's office must then verify that there are enough valid signatures. If it qualifies, the City Council has three options – make the ordinance law as it is, allow it to be put on the ballot as submitted or work with the petition organizers to put a compromise measure on the ballot.
If both initiatives make it on the ballot and are approved, the one that gets the most votes would become law. The issue is further complicated by an expected statewide initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. It is uncertain what would take precedent then, Garcia said, until after the language of all the initiatives is finalized.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiatives Near Petition Stage In Long Beach, CA
Author: Harry Saltzgaver
Contact: Gazettes
Photo Credit: Torsten Kjellstrand
Website: Gazettes
Initiatives from Bob Kelton and Larry King were filed after the City Council failed to approve any form of dispensary and reaffirmed its ban at the Feb. 2 council meeting. A proposal to allow a delivery-only dispensary was before the council at that meeting; that option superseded a maximum of nine storefront dispensaries or cooperatives at the Dec. 8 meeting.
Neither initiative will be on a ballot until the Nov. 8 presidential election. City Clerk Maria de la Luz Garcia said there is not enough time to complete the process to get on the June 7 state primary.
King, who has run for City Council and served on the Medical Marijuana Tax Force, agreed to be the petitioner on a proposal put together by attorney Matt Pappas and promoted by political consultant Jason Aula. Almost identical to a proposition circulating in Signal Hill, the initiative would allow an unlimited number of dispensaries in any land use zone as long as the business was 600 feet from schools.
Dispensaries or collectives would be required to obtain a city business license and sales would be taxed, but conditional use permits would not be required. Dispensaries would be allowed to create on-site smoking lounges and operate from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. It also states that, "Medical Cannabis-related activities shall be the lowest possible priority of the Police Department," and requires the city to help find marijuana for patients if federal enforcement activities significantly disrupt supply.
The King initiative also would set testing standards for marijuana and marijuana derivatives. It would set aside at least 1% by weight of medical marijuana to be distributed free to low-income cooperative members.
King's proposed petition went to the City Attorney's office for a ballot title and summary, and was delivered by to the city clerk on Tuesday. Proponents can begin collection signatures as early as next week.
Benton actually had his proposal in to the city clerk's office before King, but withdrew it to make changes and resubmitted it last week. City Attorney Charles Parkin said his office was working on the summary now, and it would be returned by March 5. Details of the proposition were not available.
When Garcia releases the ballot title and summary to the proponents, they will have 180 days to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. That number is 10% of the number of registered voters in the last general election – 249,089. So about 24,900 signatures from registered voters are required.
The city clerk's office must then verify that there are enough valid signatures. If it qualifies, the City Council has three options – make the ordinance law as it is, allow it to be put on the ballot as submitted or work with the petition organizers to put a compromise measure on the ballot.
If both initiatives make it on the ballot and are approved, the one that gets the most votes would become law. The issue is further complicated by an expected statewide initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. It is uncertain what would take precedent then, Garcia said, until after the language of all the initiatives is finalized.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiatives Near Petition Stage In Long Beach, CA
Author: Harry Saltzgaver
Contact: Gazettes
Photo Credit: Torsten Kjellstrand
Website: Gazettes
