INDIO BANS MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

Fesmire Lone Vote Against New Ordinance

The Indio City Council on Wednesday voted 4-1 to ban medical marijuana
establishments.

Indio now joins the ranks of Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta
in limiting the dispensaries.

Councilwoman Melanie Fesmire voted against the ban because she said
she sympathizes with the sick people who might benefit from marijuana
use.

Five people spoke in opposition of the ban, saying the drug can
benefit the chronically ill and urging the city to uphold the
California Constitution.

"Our city council needs to step up and have a backbone," resident John
Gentry said.

California state law allows medical use of the drug for patients with
a doctor's letter of recommendation, while federal law bans all sale
and use of marijuana.

"They have no business enforcing federal law - that's not their job,"
said Lanny Swerdlow, director of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition
Project, an Inland Empire based medical marijuana patient support
group and law reform organization.

The city in recent months had been approached by parties interested in
opening medical marijuana outlets in Indio, but the city did not have
standards relating to the location, operation and concentration of
dispensaries.

The Indio Planning Commission last month, with no opposition,
recommended the ordinance to the City Council.

The new ordinance clarifies the city's stance on marijuana
dispensaries, said Steve Copenhaver, community development director
with the city.

City Manager Glenn Southard said there was much debate about the issue
at staff level.

"We really did think about it and talk about it. But, in the end we're
not constitutional law experts," he said.

"We weren't looking to be a marijuana magnate."