FruityBud
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The City Council Wednesday night approved an urgency ordinance, effective immediately, forbidding the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.
After hearing from 17 speakers, many lobbying passionately for or against marijuana, the council voted 4-0 for the ban.
It's the moral and legal thing you should do, Dion Markgraaff, head of San Diego Americans for Safe Access, said in urging the council to reject the proposed ban.
Tons of people need marijuana for their pain, he said.
It's one of the safest therapeutic substances known to mankind, marijuana proponent Neal Musik argued.
Lori Green traveled from Yucca Valley in San Bernardino County to speak against it, saying marijuana use can push youth into other criminal behavior.
Four friends backed up Kinney Hines, co-chair of the North Coastal Prevention Youth Coalition, when he said permitting medical marijuana dispensaries would send the wrong message that drugs are acceptable.
Bruce Frankel, executive director of the San Diego Prevention Coalition, told the council the dispensaries practice no quality control and take advantage of desperate patients by charging $12.50 to $25 for a gram of marijuana.
Eugene Davidovich, a Gulf War veteran and admitted cannabis patient suggested the city set up a task force to consider allowing dispensaries.
I cannot wrap my arms around legalizing marijuana in any form, Councilman Jack Feller said.
Councilmen Rocky Chavez and Jerry Kern said the city's role is one of land use and not one of deciding medical issues.
City Attorney John Mullen said the urgency was precipitated by a visit he had from a doctor wanting to open a medical-marijuana dispensary.
Use of the plant for medicinal purposes is legal in California. But it illegal under federal law, and federal agents have raided medical-marijuana dispensaries in San Diego.
Juliana von Hacht, associate planner for Oceanside, recommended the ban, saying that to do otherwise may cause a proliferation of marijuana dispensaries.
Von Hacht said other cities she cited Rocklin, Roseville, Oakland, Hayward and Fairfax have found that crime increases around dispensaries.
They've brought, burglaries, robberies, loitering and traffic, she said.
An urgency ordinance is good for 45 days, but then, von Hacht said, I will come back to you and request an extension to 10 months and 15 days.
Councilwoman Esther Sanchez was absent.
hxxp://shuurl.com/U4826
After hearing from 17 speakers, many lobbying passionately for or against marijuana, the council voted 4-0 for the ban.
It's the moral and legal thing you should do, Dion Markgraaff, head of San Diego Americans for Safe Access, said in urging the council to reject the proposed ban.
Tons of people need marijuana for their pain, he said.
It's one of the safest therapeutic substances known to mankind, marijuana proponent Neal Musik argued.
Lori Green traveled from Yucca Valley in San Bernardino County to speak against it, saying marijuana use can push youth into other criminal behavior.
Four friends backed up Kinney Hines, co-chair of the North Coastal Prevention Youth Coalition, when he said permitting medical marijuana dispensaries would send the wrong message that drugs are acceptable.
Bruce Frankel, executive director of the San Diego Prevention Coalition, told the council the dispensaries practice no quality control and take advantage of desperate patients by charging $12.50 to $25 for a gram of marijuana.
Eugene Davidovich, a Gulf War veteran and admitted cannabis patient suggested the city set up a task force to consider allowing dispensaries.
I cannot wrap my arms around legalizing marijuana in any form, Councilman Jack Feller said.
Councilmen Rocky Chavez and Jerry Kern said the city's role is one of land use and not one of deciding medical issues.
City Attorney John Mullen said the urgency was precipitated by a visit he had from a doctor wanting to open a medical-marijuana dispensary.
Use of the plant for medicinal purposes is legal in California. But it illegal under federal law, and federal agents have raided medical-marijuana dispensaries in San Diego.
Juliana von Hacht, associate planner for Oceanside, recommended the ban, saying that to do otherwise may cause a proliferation of marijuana dispensaries.
Von Hacht said other cities she cited Rocklin, Roseville, Oakland, Hayward and Fairfax have found that crime increases around dispensaries.
They've brought, burglaries, robberies, loitering and traffic, she said.
An urgency ordinance is good for 45 days, but then, von Hacht said, I will come back to you and request an extension to 10 months and 15 days.
Councilwoman Esther Sanchez was absent.
hxxp://shuurl.com/U4826
