SIGNAL HILL KEEPS OUT POT CLINICS

The City Council extended a moratorium prohibiting medical marijuana
dispensaries.

SIGNAL HILL - While Long Beach seeks to regulate and profit from
medical marijuana dispensaries, Signal Hill just said no.

The City Council extended a moratorium prohibiting medical marijuana
dispensaries in the 2.2-square-mile city on June 15.

City Planner Scott Charney said the temporary ban has been in place
since July 2009 and was implemented in response to decisions made in
surrounding cities.

"Given the changes occurring in Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the
potential state law changes, the City Council thought it was wise to
see how things shake out," Charney said.

The moratorium will give the city until July 2011 to research the
effects of medical marijuana dispensaries on other cities.

City Manager Kenneth Farfsing said concerns include people standing
outside the dispensaries smoking and theft at the collectives, which
often handle large amounts of cash.

Officials are considering regulations to limit the clinics' hours and
proximity to residential neighborhoods, Farfsing said.

"We're not even sure as a community if we'd want to allow the
clinics," Farfsing said.

When the moratorium ends, the city will have to decide whether to
regulate and zone the dispensaries or ban them outright.

During the moratorium, two or three dispensaries opened in Signal Hill
without permits, Farfsing said. The city attorney used code
enforcement to shut them down.