Pubdate: Thu, 17 Jun 2010
Source: Santa Barbara Independent, The (CA)
Copyright: 2010 The Santa Barbara Independent, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.independent.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4348
Author: Nick Welsh

NEW POT ORDINANCE APPROVED

City Council Goes with New, Stricter Game Plan

By a 6-1 vote, the Santa Barbara City Council tentatively approved a 
new and stricter medical marijuana ordinance that would allow no more 
than three dispensaries within city limits. In addition, the council 
agreed to place an initiative on the November ballot asking city 
voters whether dispensaries should be banned outright. The vote came 
after more than three hours of passionate debate, ornate oratory, and 
intricate procedural maneuvers among a board of elected officials who 
have collectively wrestled with the issue for no less than 21 
meetings within the past year.

The vote comes three weeks after the council seemed to have put the 
matter to rest. That's when the council tentatively adopted a measure 
that would have set the maximum number of dispensaries at five. That 
vote came unglued, however, when Councilmember Frank Hotchkiss 
experienced a change of heart two weeks ago and opted - upon 
reconsideration - to vote against an ordinance that he had helped 
craft. At that point, Mayor Helene Schneider and Councilmember Bendy 
White concluded the council had reached an impasse and proposed 
placing two competing initiatives on this November's ballot - one in 
favor of the five-dispensary ordinance and another for a total ban.

Dispensary opponents on the council opposed the two-initiative 
solution, however, and persuaded White - a self-described swing vote 
- - to vote in favor of the one-initiative approach. With White's vote, 
the anti-dispensary block - councilmembers Dale Francisco, Frank 
Hotchkiss, and Michael Self - had the votes. At that point, 
Councilmember Das Williams and Mayor Schneider joined with them, 
leaving Councilmember Grant House as the sole councilmember to vote 
against the new ordinance and the proposed ballot initiative.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake