Robert Celt
New Member
Tehachapi city staff members are heading to the drawing board after the City Council decided to put aside a contentious ordinance that would have banned medical marijuana dispensaries in city limits and instead voted to look at regulation possibilities.
"We don't want to put the cart before the horse," Councilman Ed Grimes said during the Monday, March 21, meeting.
That night there was a standing-room-only crowd as a public hearing took place on an ordinance that, if adopted, would have prohibited medical marijuana dispensaries, cooperatives, collectives, mobile delivery and cultivation of medical marijuana within city limits. It would have mirrored an ordinance already in place in county areas.
Instead, the council asked staff to examine crafting an ordinance that would focus on regulating medical marijuana.
Council members indicated they made that decision based on public comments and their research.
"Last night we saw the beauty of the democratic process," Assistant City Manager Christopher Kirk said the following day when reviewing the meeting with Tehachapi News.
He said, "The council had the opportunity to reconsider the issue in a way that hadn't been considered before based on that public testimony."
Kirk said city staff will look at the ordinance and try to find "a better way to strike a balance between both interests."
Fourteen members of the community presented testimony to the council. Eleven asked the City Council to reconsider the propsoed ordinance, saying it went too far, trampled on their civil liberties and did not follow California law allowing the use of medical marijuana.
Several people shared their personal medical issues and the benefits they receive from using an organic plant as compared to pharmaceutical-designed drugs. Many said their pain was eased by medical marijuana and argued it was far cheaper than prescription medication.
Three people urged council to pass the new ordinance, largely because they felt allowing dispensaries would create problems and possible criminal activity within the city.
While the audience at times became vocal during public comments, the meeting didn't become unruly. During one outburst, Mayor Susan Wiggins said she would clear the room if such behavior continued.
No timeline was set for when the issue would return to the City Council.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tehachapi City Staff Examining MMJ Regulation At City Council's Direction
Author: Key Budge
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Tehachapi News
"We don't want to put the cart before the horse," Councilman Ed Grimes said during the Monday, March 21, meeting.
That night there was a standing-room-only crowd as a public hearing took place on an ordinance that, if adopted, would have prohibited medical marijuana dispensaries, cooperatives, collectives, mobile delivery and cultivation of medical marijuana within city limits. It would have mirrored an ordinance already in place in county areas.
Instead, the council asked staff to examine crafting an ordinance that would focus on regulating medical marijuana.
Council members indicated they made that decision based on public comments and their research.
"Last night we saw the beauty of the democratic process," Assistant City Manager Christopher Kirk said the following day when reviewing the meeting with Tehachapi News.
He said, "The council had the opportunity to reconsider the issue in a way that hadn't been considered before based on that public testimony."
Kirk said city staff will look at the ordinance and try to find "a better way to strike a balance between both interests."
Fourteen members of the community presented testimony to the council. Eleven asked the City Council to reconsider the propsoed ordinance, saying it went too far, trampled on their civil liberties and did not follow California law allowing the use of medical marijuana.
Several people shared their personal medical issues and the benefits they receive from using an organic plant as compared to pharmaceutical-designed drugs. Many said their pain was eased by medical marijuana and argued it was far cheaper than prescription medication.
Three people urged council to pass the new ordinance, largely because they felt allowing dispensaries would create problems and possible criminal activity within the city.
While the audience at times became vocal during public comments, the meeting didn't become unruly. During one outburst, Mayor Susan Wiggins said she would clear the room if such behavior continued.
No timeline was set for when the issue would return to the City Council.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tehachapi City Staff Examining MMJ Regulation At City Council's Direction
Author: Key Budge
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Tehachapi News
