MED POT REGULATIONS DELAYED UNTIL JULY

Councilwoman's request for a city vote is denied.

A majority of City Council brushed off a request Monday night to let
city voters decide whether or not to allow medical marijuana
dispensaries in the city, choosing instead to start looking at
licensing regulations in July.

Councilwoman Judy Weaver asked that those licensing regulations be
delayed until November and that city voters be asked whether they
want to allow the marijuana shops in the city.

Her argument was that a majority of Pueblo County voters rejected the
state constitutional amendment in 2000 that legalized the use of
marijuana for a short list of medical conditions. In that election,
more than 28,000 county voters rejected the amendment while more
than 24,000 voted for it.

"I feel strongly that our voters ought to be consulted on whether
they want these dispensaries in Pueblo," she said. Weaver got support
for her amendment from Councilwoman Vera Ortegon and Councilman Chris
Kaufman.

But a majority -- Council President Larry Atencio and Councilmen
Leroy Garcia, Steve Nawrocki and Ray Aguilera -- voted against that
idea, saying state voters had approved medical marijuana in the 2000
election.

"How many times are we gonna vote on this?" Aguilera asked, saying
the issue was an uncomfortable one for council and the city should
move forward with regulations.

Garcia said the public isn't asked to vote on the appropriateness of
other drugs and medications.

Nawrocki, a cancer survivor, said he'd been encouraged by several
local oncologists to move forward with allowing dispensaries in the
city.

On the second question of extending the city moratorium on licensing
medical pot dispensaries until July 27, that passed on a 6-1 vote,
with Kaufman continuing his opposition.