FruityBud
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2007
- Messages
- 2,294
- Reaction score
- 3,399
The Indio City Council on Wednesday voted 4-1 to ban medical marijuana establishments.
Indio now joins the ranks of Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta in limiting the dispensaries.
Councilwoman Melanie Fesmire voted against the ban because she said she sympathizes with the sick people who might benefit from marijuana use.
Five people spoke in opposition of the ban, saying the drug can benefit the chronically ill and urging the city to uphold the California Constitution.
"Our city council needs to step up and have a backbone," resident John Gentry said.
California state law allows medical use of the drug for patients with a doctor's letter of recommendation, while federal law bans all sale and use of marijuana.
"They have no business enforcing federal law - that's not their job," said Lanny Swerdlow, director of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, an Inland Empire based medical marijuana patient support group and law reform organization.
The city in recent months had been approached by parties interested in opening medical marijuana outlets in Indio, but the city did not have standards relating to the location, operation and concentration of dispensaries.
The Indio Planning Commission last month, with no opposition, recommended the ordinance to the City Council.
The new ordinance clarifies the city's stance on marijuana dispensaries, said Steve Copenhaver, community development director with the city.
City Manager Glenn Southard said there was much debate about the issue at staff level.
"We really did think about it and talk about it. But, in the end we're not constitutional law experts," he said.
"We weren't looking to be a marijuana magnate."
hxxp://tinyurl.com/2lydvj
Indio now joins the ranks of Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta in limiting the dispensaries.
Councilwoman Melanie Fesmire voted against the ban because she said she sympathizes with the sick people who might benefit from marijuana use.
Five people spoke in opposition of the ban, saying the drug can benefit the chronically ill and urging the city to uphold the California Constitution.
"Our city council needs to step up and have a backbone," resident John Gentry said.
California state law allows medical use of the drug for patients with a doctor's letter of recommendation, while federal law bans all sale and use of marijuana.
"They have no business enforcing federal law - that's not their job," said Lanny Swerdlow, director of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, an Inland Empire based medical marijuana patient support group and law reform organization.
The city in recent months had been approached by parties interested in opening medical marijuana outlets in Indio, but the city did not have standards relating to the location, operation and concentration of dispensaries.
The Indio Planning Commission last month, with no opposition, recommended the ordinance to the City Council.
The new ordinance clarifies the city's stance on marijuana dispensaries, said Steve Copenhaver, community development director with the city.
City Manager Glenn Southard said there was much debate about the issue at staff level.
"We really did think about it and talk about it. But, in the end we're not constitutional law experts," he said.
"We weren't looking to be a marijuana magnate."
hxxp://tinyurl.com/2lydvj
