City Council Approves Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Ban

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives.

The ordinance will go into effect within 30 days if the council adopts it at its Feb. 7 meeting.

The proposed ban comes after the council approved a  and  to study the effects such businesses would have on the city.

According to an 87-page city report, the creation of the medical marijuana dispensaries would be a “burden on public resources” and negatively affect Poway.

Three people backed the report in public comments.

Carol Green told the council that the creation of dispensaries in Poway would “send the wrong signal to the youth in our community.” Safety Wellness Advocacy Community Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Hernandez, who has been vocal about her opposition to substance abuse, also spoke at the meeting.

Sharon Struck, a student services specialist, said she knows first-hand the effects of drugs.

“I myself had a struggle with substances," she said. "Marijuana was my own first drug of choice at the age of 11.”

Council members agreed with the negative effects of marijuana.

“I'm 100 percent behind this," Councilman Dave Grosch said. “I think for those citizens who need access to marijuana, you should take whatever you want to take if you're terminally ill, but for teenagers, absolutely not.”

Deputy Mayor Jim Cunningham, who blasted the Legislature for state laws, said the ban was based on safety.

“It's a quality-of-life issue,” he said. “We work very hard to maintain a safe and secure community for our kids.”

Although the ban will prevent the openings of dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives—it does not prevent Powegians from using or growing medical marijuana.

In other council business:

• City Council approved the creation of a “successor agency” to the Poway Redevelopment Agency, which is set to be dissolved Feb. 6. An  “Oversight Board” that includes seven members including two from Poway, will oversee the use of the successor agency. A resolution revising the Enforcement Obligation Payment Schedule will also be presented.
• In council-initiated items, members approved a proposal by Councilman John Mullin to reduce the “turnaround times for plan review and building permit issuance” for “several of the less complex building permit applications, including tenant improvements less than 2,500 square feet in area.”
• The City Council also approved a proposal by Deputy Mayor Cunningham to establish a local vendor preference policy.

See the full agenda here.

Check out the video above to watch part of the meeting and visit Poway Patch's UStream Channel for more.