MMJ Dispensary Proposed in Hollister, CA

[mr.greengenes]

Medical dispensary asks city council to examine zoning rules for area
By Marty Richman
Special to the Pinnacle

A representative from a marijuana dispensary informed city officials this week of his group's intention to propose opening one in Hollister.

Scott McPhail, representing Purple Cross Rx, asked the city council Monday to examine options for zoning a medical marijuana dispensary in Hollister's light industrial area.

The request came during the public hearing for amending the zoning code. McPhail asked if the proposed zoning changes would affect the ability to obtain a permit for a dispensary in the areas under discussion.

City Attorney Stephanie Atigh informed the council and McPhail that city ordinances currently require that all permitted uses and zoning "comply with state and federal laws" and that those provisions would affect the ability to zone property for use as a medical marijuana dispensary.

State law allows the sale of marijuana for medicinal uses, while federal law does not.

The council also ruled that it could not address the issue at that time because the zoning request had not previously been placed on the meeting agenda as required by the Brown Act.

The council did, however, direct the staff to prepare a short report on issues associated with zoning for a medical marijuana dispensary to be presented at the Dec. 21 meeting and to inform McPhail of the process.

The Free Lance e-mailed McPhail for additional information concerning details of a possible zoning proposal for a medical marijuana dispensary, but he stated that he had no further comment on the issue at this time.

The Purple Cross Rx Web site has this to say about its area of operation: "At PCRX, we provide San Benito, Monterey, Santa Cruz & Santa Clara Counties, with the finest quality medicine in the convenience and comfort of home. Friendly drivers arrive at your residence safely, discreetly, and within one hour."

Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia, who also oversees the local senior center, was cautious about the possibility when reached this week.

"I have reservations," she said. "I also have a lot of questions. I'll need a lot of information and I'm worried about potential problems. We have to be very careful."

Mayor Victor Gomez was more definitively opposed.

"We should comply with the federal law. And even if the state is not enforcing the federal law on marijuana, I do not think it's a good idea to just ignore the law," Gomez said.

The possible proposal in Hollister comes just weeks after a dispensary opened in Gilroy despite the city's rejection of the idea there.

A legal battle between the City of Gilroy and a MediLeaf officially started Nov. 20 after the city filed court documents to shut down the medical marijuana dispensary

 

[mr.greengenes]

Hollister California. Birthplace of the American Biker. Life Magazine ran a story about motorcycle riders taking over the town in 1947. The 1953 movie "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando launched the visage of the outlaw biker. The town used to host a JULY 4 motorcycle rally every year starting in 1997 but the event has been canceled because it loses money. Why? Because local law enforcement spends more money on 'security' than the event can produce in taxable revenue.

San Benito County is beautiful country with great weather within 45 minutes of San Jose and Monterey. Yet it simply lacks the competent leadership necessary to make real, substantive social progress toward economic development. It has no 4 year college and only a satellite community college campus by mistake. The remark by Hollister's mayor is predictably myopic and politically retarded. For example, the town library once requested to raise taxes to improve its operation. One farmer went on record saying "Why should I support the library? My cows can't read." Locals still think it's 1955.

I'm glad I have a mmj card and constant crop growing in the closet. I won't be heart broken when the local leaders miss this opportunity.