City Council to Consider Permanent Ban on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The City Council will consider adopting a permanent ban of medical marijuana dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives—more than five months after it adopted a temporary ban in 2011.

The ordinance—which is recommended by city staff—will be presented for its first reading during a public hearing at Tuesday's meeting.

In an 87-page report, city staff writes that the “establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries, cooperatives or collectives is likely to create a burden on public safety resources” and that dispensaries “have significant negative effects of maintaining the health, safety and welfare of the City’s neighborhoods.”

Although dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives would be prohibited within Poway, the ordinance would not prohibit the “use or growth of medical marijuana in the city,” according to the report.

The proposal comes after the City Council adopted a and . If council members approve the ordinance, it will be scheduled for adoption on Feb. 7.

Other items on the City Council agenda include:

• City Council will consider establishing a “successor agency” to the Poway Redevelopment Agency, which is set to be dissolved Feb. 6. A resolution revising the Enforcement Obligation Payment Schedule will also be presented.
• In council-initiated items, Councilman John Mullin will ask his colleagues 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.”
• Deputy Mayor Jim Cunningham will also present a proposal to his colleagues. Cunningham is proposing an ordinance “that establishes a local vendor preference policy.” According to Cunningham’s memo, the ordinance would allow for the city to promote local businesses and the policy “will apply a credit of 1 percent to local vendor bids for taxable goods.”

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. inside the at 13325 Civic Center Dr. See the full agenda here.