COUNCIL WRESTLES BEFORE ADDING RESTRICTIONS TO MEDPOT ORDINANCE
By LBReport.com
In a lengthy item marked by multiple motions and divided (and in one case reconsidered) votes, the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday night voted 6-3 (Andrews, Johnson, Gabelich dissenting) to approve amendments to its medical marijuana ordinance. If approved on a second council vote, the amendments will expand allowed hours of operation, require surveillance cameras, increase “buffer” areas where collectives won’t be permitted near parks and eliminate all beaches from the ordinance’s definition of parks as buffers.
Most of the adopted amendments parallel those supported by a council majority in early November when offered by Councilman Robert Garcia as an alternative to tougher restrictions proposed by Councilmembers Gary DeLong, Patrick O’Donnell and Gerrie Schipske.
In public testimony, attorney Rick Brizendine urged the council not to amend the ordinance—but if it did, to make the restrictions as lenient as possible … and said he’d been contacted by multiple potential litigants.
Another attorney, speaking for five collectives, sought additional time for lottery participants to relocate to new locations. Privately retained advocate Carl Kemp, speaking for four collectives, also urged letting collectives displaced by new amendments be allowed to find new locations.
2 Comments
No matter what the City Council or the State Assembly does, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. Until we address marijuana illegality at the federal level, everything else we do on the matter is ultimately counter-productive.
Find a mellow place for people to gather with a lovely atmosphere for this type of indulgence. If there is a security system checking for weapons like the airports, it should only draw a peaceful crowd and make money too. Beverages, old fashion malt counter, food court, paint ball, a dispensary, music, outdoor volleyball, horseshoes, hot tubs, would be good for business and a place for folks to de-stress.