BOS TO ADDRESS MEDICAL MARIJUANA AT MONDAY MEETING

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors is slated to hear about the
medical marijuana law that was voted upon during the November election
at its March 21 meeting.

"A lot of people are talking about it and asking questions about it,"
County Administrator Robert Pickels said in an interview with the Sun.

According to Pickels the board will discuss and possibly take action
on an amendment to the Yuma County Zoning Ordinance.

"The only regulatory authority that counties and cities have is
through the zoning ordinances," Pickels said.

According to Pickels, this means that cities and counties have the
ability to designate where in the community dispensaries can be located.

Pickels said at the meeting the board will try to take advantage of
that regulatory authority and ensure that the dispensaries are in
areas where their use is compatible with other similar type uses.

"The key with either a city ordinance or a county ordinance is making
sure the dispensaries are in areas where they have compatible uses,"
Pickels said.

"We're exercising our authority to regulate the location of the
dispensaries."

If passed, Pickels said the regulatory power would be finalized after
a 30 day referendum period.

Pickels said so far there have been no applications for
dispensaries.

"I think that we probably won't see any until the final regulations
from the Arizona Department of Health Services are put out, which is
the 1st of April," he said.

According to Pickels, until regulations are in place there is no
ability for dispensaries to move forward.

Another issue that the BOS will face is one that involves the Arizona
Department of Transportation's attempt to redirect available resources.

"They're looking at projects that are not construction ready," Pickels
said.

"They're looking at the Highway 95 improvement project as being one
that is not ready for construction and so it's been targeted for a
sweep of funding."

Pickels said due to tourist and business traffic, Yuma cannot afford
for this to happen.

"We need to have this improvement project done. We can't have ADOT
looking to raid those funds and divert them elsewhere," Pickels said.

Earlier this week, the Yuma City Council signed a resolution opposing
the funding sweep.

The Supervisors' meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. at 198 S. Main St.