Pubdate: Tue, 27 Mar 2007
Source: Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Copyright: 2007 The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact:  http://www.pe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830
Author: Julie Farren, The Press-Enterprise
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

GRAND TERRACE TO VOTE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA BAN

The Grand Terrace City Council tonight will consider prohibiting 
medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

If the council approves an ordinance, a second reading will be held 
in two weeks, and the new law will take effect in 30 days.

City Manager Tom Schwab said Grand Terrace chose not to adopt an 
immediate moratorium on the dispensaries upon the advice of City 
Attorney John Harper.

"There's no imminent danger to the health and safety of our community 
to justify doing that," Schwab said.

Prop. 215 was passed in 1996 to decriminalize the use of marijuana 
for medicinal purposes. However, the sale and use of marijuana is 
illegal under federal law.

Schwab said he had read some articles on the subject and saw that 
other cities were taking proactive measures to ban the medical 
marijuana dispensaries.

Upland adopted a moratorium in January 2006 and amended it in 
December. Rancho Cucamonga approved an urgency ordinance last week.

Earlier this month, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gloria 
Connor Trask ordered the immediate closure of a medical marijuana 
dispensary operating in Norco.

Norco said Collective Solutions, which had been operating on Sixth 
Street in that city since December, had broken the law by operating 
without a license and violated the zoning code.

Indio, Palm Desert and San Jacinto also have banned the dispensaries.

Schwab also said Grand Terrace does not have enough law enforcement 
to deal with any potential problems concerning the dispensaries.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Grand Terrace 
Civic Center, 22795 Barton Road. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake