HB BANS MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

Council Members Had Voted In 2005 To Permit Medical Marijuana
Dispensaries To Comply With The State Law.

HUNTINGTON BEACH Medical marijuana dispensaries are no longer legally
allowed in Surf City after council members voted Monday to adopt an
ordinance that essentially bans them from opening.

Surf City joined the increasing number of cities in Southern
California that prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries after council
members voted 5 to 2 to change the ordinance, after one person spoke
against the ban.

Councilwomen Debbie Cook and Jill Hardy voted against the ban.

"People should have access to whatever medication to relieve their
pain," Cook said.

One person spoke against the ordinance, stating that the ban would be
"turning back the clock," adding that the ban would ignore the will
of Californians who voted for the Compassionate Use Act about 11 years ago.

Huntington Beach is one of several cities that in the past several
years have shied from a law that allows medical marijuana
dispensaries to open and operate in the state.

"Yes. It's not perfect legislation...," said Derek Bercher, of
Huntington Beach. "I would suggest that you wait and tell folks that
we're open to compassion."

A handful of people spoke against the ban at a Nov. 5 public hearing
tried to convince council member to regulate dispensaries instead of
banning them. At the same meeting, Police Chief Kenneth Small gave a
slide presentation on what he said were the dangers of medical
marijuana dispensaries.

Huntington Beach has no medical marijuana dispensaries.

The closest legal medical marijuana dispensaries are in Los Angeles,
lobbyists for medical marijuana said. Small said he knew of one
operating in Anaheim.

People still had the option to cultivate marijuana for medicinal
purposes, Small added.

Councilman Joe Carchio, who voted against the ban said he sympathized
with those in pain but then added, "I do believe this is not a good
mix for Huntington Beach."

The City Council voted in 2005 to permit medical marijuana
dispensaries in specified locations to comply with the state's
Compassionate Use Act, which allowed people to use medical marijuana
in California.

At the time, a U.S. Supreme Court decision was pending on the state
act's relationship to the Federal Controlled Substances Act. In June
of that year, the court upheld the federal act.

A month after the City Council voted to permit medical marijuana
dispensaries, Coerper asked the council to reverse the city's laws.