Truth Seeker
New Member
Organizers who put medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot in two North County cities said Wednesday they were shocked and disappointed that the measures – and similar ones in Imperial Beach and Lemon Grove – were rejected by voters.
"It's exactly the opposite of what we experienced when we walked around (and gathered signatures)," said Cynara Velazquez of Citizens for Patient Rights, a group that with the Patient Care Association drafted a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance that went before voters in Del Mar and Solana Beach.
"It seems like people want to support it, but when it comes to voting for it, they have the 'not in my backyard' mentality,' " Velazquez said.
According to unofficial election results, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, about 54 percent of voters in Del Mar voted against the measure. In Solana Beach, nearly 63 percent of voters rejected the initiative.
"We did the best in, of all places, Del Mar, where we had the least amount of support and a council who was absolutely against us," Velazquez said.
She said she was surprised that the ordinance in Solana Beach received such high opposition. Velazquez said the Solana Beach City Council and city attorney had been fair and unbiased regarding the ordinance, and the group had not encountered a lot of public opposition.
"I guess we overestimated the level of base support we had," she said.
The groups' proposal would have required that dispensaries operate away from residences and at least 600 feet from schools, playgrounds and other areas where children gather.
The ordinances proposed to limit storefront dispensaries to commercial and industrial areas and levy a 2.5 percent tax on retail transactions.
They also aimed to establish security measures and hours of operation and require licensing by existing city departments.
Medical marijuana dispensaries are not allowed in either city under existing zoning laws.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: nctimes.com
Author: Tawny Maya McCray
Contact: Contact Us - North County Times/The Californian
Website: Voters nix medical marijuana in Solana Beach, Del Mar
"It's exactly the opposite of what we experienced when we walked around (and gathered signatures)," said Cynara Velazquez of Citizens for Patient Rights, a group that with the Patient Care Association drafted a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance that went before voters in Del Mar and Solana Beach.
"It seems like people want to support it, but when it comes to voting for it, they have the 'not in my backyard' mentality,' " Velazquez said.
According to unofficial election results, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, about 54 percent of voters in Del Mar voted against the measure. In Solana Beach, nearly 63 percent of voters rejected the initiative.
"We did the best in, of all places, Del Mar, where we had the least amount of support and a council who was absolutely against us," Velazquez said.
She said she was surprised that the ordinance in Solana Beach received such high opposition. Velazquez said the Solana Beach City Council and city attorney had been fair and unbiased regarding the ordinance, and the group had not encountered a lot of public opposition.
"I guess we overestimated the level of base support we had," she said.
The groups' proposal would have required that dispensaries operate away from residences and at least 600 feet from schools, playgrounds and other areas where children gather.
The ordinances proposed to limit storefront dispensaries to commercial and industrial areas and levy a 2.5 percent tax on retail transactions.
They also aimed to establish security measures and hours of operation and require licensing by existing city departments.
Medical marijuana dispensaries are not allowed in either city under existing zoning laws.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: nctimes.com
Author: Tawny Maya McCray
Contact: Contact Us - North County Times/The Californian
Website: Voters nix medical marijuana in Solana Beach, Del Mar
