YUCAIPA CITY COUNCIL HALFWAY TO BANNING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

The Yucaipa City Council has approved the first reading of an
ordinance that permanently bans medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

The ordinance will return to the council Sept. 14 and, if adopted at
that time, will take effect 30 days later.

Monday night's vote was 3-1 in favor of the ordinance. Councilman
Allan Drusys voted no. Councilwoman Denise Hoyt was absent.

Drusys said this should be a matter between a physician and patient's
pharmacist, and to take such a broad approach to medical marijuana
was doing a disservice to patients.

The other council members did not speak on the matter in the meeting,
nor was there public comment.

In May 2008, Yucaipa established a one-year moratorium on medical
marijuana dispensaries.

A staff report for Monday night's council meeting stated the
distribution of marijuana is illegal and that the Municipal Code
prohibits the city from issuing business licenses to anyone engaged
in illegal activities, which "has resulted in an indirect ban on
medical marijuana dispensaries" in Yucaipa.

Although California law allows the distribution and use of marijuana
for medical purposes, it is illegal for any purpose under federal law.

The staff report concluded that language should be added to Yucaipa's
municipal code to make the city's position "unequivocally clear" and
so the indirect ban wouldn't be overlooked by staff responding to
people requesting information on opening a dispensary.

The actual ordinance declares that the City Council believes medical
marijuana dispensaries may pose a risk to surrounding developments
and to "the public peace, health, safety, and welfare."