MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES OK'D FOR EL CENTRO

Sara Ambriz of Brawley couldn't enjoy her daily tasks, her children,
even her life before she started using medicinal marijuana.

The cancer patient went from 10 types of medicines a day that would
knock her out to two, she said. It's helped her enjoy things again.

She was among the crowd of medical marijuana patients and advocates
who pled their case before the El Centro City Council, trying to get
one of the last cities which hasn't banned the dispensaries to allow
them.

Scattered clapping echoed in the room after the City Council voted 5-0
to direct staff to bring back an ordinance allowing medical marijuana
dispensaries within the city.

Councilman Jon Edney made the motion, saying it was better to regulate
than to ban it. It's especially important with all the cities around
the banning the drug.

"I'll agree there are people in this community, in Imperial County,
that have medical issues that can be provided a benefit by having
medical marijuana," he said. "I don't think anyone would necessarily
disagree with that in a sense."

However, there are going to be issues, as there are with anything that
goes before the City Council, he said.

Edney was not convinced by the crowd of about a dozen people who spoke
out for the dispensaries, as most were not from the Valley, he said.

Councilwoman Cheryl Viegas-Walker agreed, saying that there is nothing
that irritates her more than out-of-towners coming in and telling the
council what's best for the city. The residents are conservative, but
also compassionate.

She supported having medical marijuana dispensaries that are "limited,
highly regulated, highly controlled," she said.

Viegas-Walker and Edney will sit on a task force to create the
ordinance with staff. The ordinance is tentatively scheduled to head
back to the council at the first meeting in June.