Pubdate: Tue, 9 Nov 2010
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.presstelegram.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/244
Author: Paul Eakins
Cited: Long Beach City Council http://www.longbeach.gov/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)

Hits & Misses

THE HAZY ROAD TO LONG BEACH'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA REGULATIONS

It took months of meetings for the Long Beach City Council to craft a 
law regulating medical marijuana collectives. Once the law was 
approved, collectives worked for months to meet the requirements, 
then participated in a controversial lottery process.

Collectives still must go through city inspections and take other 
steps before receiving permits to operate, but even that is in 
question now. Today, three council members are seeking to alter the 
ordinance to further restrict where collectives may operate.

The council meets at 6 tonight - an hour later than usual - in City 
Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.

Aug. 4, 2009 - Concerned about the number of collectives in Long 
Beach, the council votes to have a committee consider how to regulate 
the operations.

Nov. 10, 2009 - In a meeting attended by a crowd of medical marijuana 
advocates, the council approves creating a medical marijuana law but 
takes out some of the more restrictive measures. At Councilman Gary 
DeLong's suggestion, the council votes not to prohibit collectives 
near libraries and parks, as City Attorney Bob Shannon proposed. The 
council leaves in some requirements, such as prohibiting collectives 
in residential areas, near schools and within 1,000 feet of each other.

Jan. 21 - Draft ordinance goes to the council. Council deadlocks over 
where to allow marijuana cultivation.

Feb. 4 - Police recommend requiring marijuana to be grown within city 
limits but the council decided not to restrict medical marijuana 
cultivation within city limits.

Feb. 9 - A final vote on the law is postponed by Mayor Bob Foster and 
City Attorney Bob Shannon because of concerns about the crime 
ramifications of importing marijuana from outside of the city.

Feb. 16 - Council again delays a final vote, after representatives 
from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the L.A. 
County Sheriff's Department tell the council that Long Beach's law 
should require marijuana to be grown within the city limits.

March 9 - Council votes 5-4 to require that medical marijuana be 
grown within the city limits.

Aug. 27 - Collective members protest in front of City Hall after 
their applications were rejected.

Sept. 21 - City holds lottery to eliminate collectives that are too 
close together; 32 out of 43 total collectives move forward in the 
permit process. Marijuana advocates ridicule the lottery after the 
city's lottery machine fails and winners' numbers must be drawn from 
a trash bin.

Today - Citing constituent concerns, DeLong and council members 
Gerrie Schipske and Patrick O'Donnell seek to add new restrictions, 
including creating collective-free zones around parks, libraries and 
child-care centers; limiting marijuana cultivation to industrial 
areas; and restricting the number of collectives. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake