Redondo Beach, CA, permanently bans medical marijuana dispensaries
The Beach Reporter -
A unanimous decision by the Planning Commission to officially ban medical marijuana dispensaries in Redondo Beach will next be recommended for the City Council’s consideration.The Planning Commission held a public hearing in nearly empty chambers April 17, and with zero members of the public offering input, made quick work of staff’s recommendation to transform a two-year moratorium on the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city to a permanent prohibition via an amended zoning code.
“This is an issue all South Bay cities have been dealing with,” said Planning Director Randy Berler. “The action was against a dispensary that came in without the city’s approval … at a time when dispensaries were popping up all over. We were one of many cities to impose moratoriums.”
With a looming expiration date, Berler and city staff recommended to the Planning Commission an outright ban of medical marijuana dispensaries and an amendment to the zoning ordinance that specifically reflects that ban. Staff did offer the commission a second option during last Thursday’s meeting, one that would permit but stringently regulate dispensaries within the city, but that alternative was quickly dismissed.
In a 100-plus-page staff report, Berler cited many articles and studies that indicated that where medical marijuana dispensaries were established, the quality of public health, safety and welfare had been compromised.
“There were communities that allowed the dispensaries and were sympathetic to their users, but there were unintended, unforeseen consequences,” Berler said Friday, mentioning for example an increase of crime and outright public use of marijuana within close proximity to the dispensary.
Berler also explained that a prohibition of medical marijuana dispensaries in Redondo was the most “legally defensible” position for the city to take, an opinion shared by City Attorney Mike Webb.
“It’s a difficult situation for a city to be in when you are stuck between federal law and state law,” said Webb.
This is one of those stories that highlights the need for you to get involved in changing our marijuana laws. There were zero members of the public who showed up to testify in favor of a South Bay-area dispensary. When we don’t show up, the prohibitionists always win.
We can do something to help fight this at the federal level. Call Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to support Ron Paul’s HR5842, the medical marijuana patients protection bill. This would tell the federal government “hands-off” the twelve medical marijuana states. Maybe then the city attorneys in California won’t be so nervous about allowing dispensaries.
Tags: California, dispensaries
