SHARE YOUR OPINIONS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The city of Wildomar has an ordinance that prohibits the growing or
sale of medical marijuana, period.

On Aug. 4, I attended the Wildomar Planning Commission meeting. On
the agenda, was a public hearing item asking the commission to decide
whether to recommend a change to the zoning code to allow
dispensaries, which are now prohibited. The change, if allowed, would
permit medical marijuana businesses to operate either a collective or
a dispensary in areas zoned for commercial or office development.

A collective is a place where the marijuana is collected from a group
of members who grow it for the benefit of all members. A dispensary
is a business that sells marijuana to anyone with an I.D. card
authorizing the individual to purchase it for medical purposes.

The city has received 25 applications to start up one or the other or
both types of businesses. Note that only two of these applications
came from Wildomar residents ---- the other 23 were from others
outside our city, and we do not know what their real motives are.

Also, as was announced last week, the commission has received a
significant number of e-mails from residents who oppose any zoning change.

Further, all of the following spoke in favor of the zoning change:
one resident of Nuevo; two from Canyon Lake; one from Lakeland
Village; three as residents of Wildomar; one was an applicant; two
from Murrieta and two from Temecula.

You have to ask, why were 12 individuals in support of a zoning
change in Wildomar, when only three live here, and only one of the 25
applicants showed up to support their applications.

Nineteen Wildomar residents who spoke in opposition in addition to
the e-mails opposing it.

We also learned there is a collective in Riverside and a dispensary
in Lake Elsinore that was run by the person who spoke from Lakeland Village.

With a very damning police report on crime statistics provided to the
council, the influence of the many e-mails, and testimony from
residents in the audience, the commission voted 3 to 2 to deny
recommending a change to the zoning code to the City Council. This
issue now will be placed on a council agenda for council members to
decide ---- probably at the second meeting in September.

Considering the gravity and importance of this issue, I beg each of
you who subscribe to social media sites, such as Facebook, YouTube or
others, to comment pro or con as to how you think you and or all your
friends should react to change the proposed zoning ordinance
regarding medical marijuana in Wildomar. I ask everyone to send your
thoughts via e-mail to the city clerk at dlee@cityofwildomar.org.

If you ever wanted to do something for yourself, your children or
your community, I urge you to make your feelings known before the
council meets and changes your life forever.