CATHEDRAL CITY COUNCIL ADVANCES BAN ON DISPENSARIES

Cathedral City took a big step Wednesday toward banning medical
marijuana dispensaries in the city.

In a 3 to 2 vote during the City Council's study session, council
members directed City Attorney Charles Green to draft a law to that effect.

There's many opportunities for people who are ill to get some form of
medication," said Councilman Chuck Vasquez, who voted for coming up
with a ban. "Smoking marijuana is not the only way to deal with these
conditions."

Councilmen Greg Pettis and Paul Marchand voted against a possible ban.

Pettis said medical marijuana should be legalized under both federal
and state laws, and he added the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
should regulate medical marijuana to allow patients to get it from pharmacies.

The vote comes two weeks after an urgency interim ordinance to
establish a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries was rejected
3 to 2 by the council.

The moratorium needed a super-majority vote of 4 to 1 to pass on
April 8, but Pettis and Marchand voted against it.

Pettis then brought forth a motion for city staff to write an
ordinance within 60 days to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.
His motion also failed 3-2, with Mayor Kathy DeRosa, Mayor Pro Tem
Charles "Bud" England and Vasquez voting against it.

There are no easy answers," said Marchand. He said he would like to
explore the possibility of regulating marijuana with strict
guidelines because he doesn't want a black market to start in Cathedral City.

If strict regulations don't work, then he would favor a prohibition,
Marchand said.

Green presented the council with four options during the study session:

Take no action

Ban medical marijuana dispensaries

Regulate dispensaries, permitted to be within certain zones

Have a majority of members vote for conditionally permitted medical
marijuana dispensaries to operate within certain zones. However, a
conditionally permitted medical marijuana dispensary would require a
public hearing before both the city's planning commission and the City Council.

Green is expected to bring back the draft of a ban to the City
Council at a future meeting.