Zoning for Medical Marijuana Set Up for Santa Clara County

Medical marijuana clubs in Santa Clara County may legally open their doors in
commercial and industrial zones, but all of the pot they distribute must be
grown on the premises, the Board of Supervisors decided yesterday.

The ordinance unanimously approved by the supervisors also restricts the
dispensaries to locations at least 1,000 feet from schools, churches and
other medical marijuana clubs.

The ordinance is modeled after rules approved last month by San Jose the
first city in the nation to regulate medical marijuana vendors like other
local businesses. But the county's buffer zones are wider than San Jose's.
The city requires marijuana dispensaries to locate 500 feet from schools, day
care centers and churches, and 150 feet from homes.

The county's ordinance, like San Jose's, prohibits deliveries to patients'
homes and onsite use of marijuana, and bans anyone under age 18 from
entering the premises. The county's Health Department will review
applications for permits under the law, and will monitor the dispensaries.

At present there are no known medical marijuana clubs located in the county's
unincorporated area.