Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 Source: Daily Journal, The (San Mateo, CA) Copyright: 2011 San Mateo Daily Journal Contact: http://www.smdailyjournal.org/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3778 Author: Heather Murtagh Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/Dispensaries Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) POT CLUB IDEA GETS SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO'S OK South San Francisco will soon be home to a medical marijuana facility serving no more than 150 patients but city officials must first decide upon a competitive process to find a provider. On Wednesday, the South San Francisco City Council held a public hearing during which it directed staff to revamp a resolution establishing rules on medical marijuana collectives, which the council majority seemed to favor. Before lifting the moratorium, however, the council wants to establish a competitive process to decide on one organization to start the collective. "There is a need in South San Francisco for ill patients. I don't want those patients to have to go to San Francisco or Oakland," said Mayor Kevin Mullin. Establishing a competitive bid process helped placate concerns expressed by Councilwoman Karyl Matsumoto who wanted a fair, professional process, and Councilman Mark Addiego who took issue with creating a monopoly, according to comments from a video of Wednesday's meeting. Although the votes to end the moratorium were there, staff requested time to outline the bid process, including application fees, before an official vote. When the resolution returns, it will also include a sunset date allowing the council to revisit the topic after a set time, most likely a year. Vice Mayor Rich Garbarino publicly struggled with the ordinance noting questions about drug habits or obtaining a prescription, but also said an outright ban seemed to not be the answer. Councilman Pedro Gonzalez was against allowing the collective at all. As proposed, the ordinance would prohibit a collective to be within 1,000 feet of a residential district, public or private school, youth center, public library, park facility or smoke shop, according to the staff report written by Assistant City Manager Marty Van Duyn. Such a facility would be allowed to serve a maximum of 150 patients. On-site cultivation and consumption would be prohibited and broad security would be required, according to the report. The conversation about medical marijuana collectives began in South San Francisco in 2006. In 1996, California voters passed the Compassionate Use Act permitting the possession and cultivation of marijuana for medical use. On Jan. 1, 2004, Senate Bill 420, the Medical Marijuana Program, specified the extent of the law. The South San Francisco City Council unanimously - but begrudgingly - approved regulations filling the "gaps" left by the legislation in 2006. In 2009, the Island of Health Collective proposal was the first since the city approved local regulations. The city approved a permit to open a medical marijuana collective at 175 Utah Ave., which was stalled after neighbors appealed the decision in October 2009. Before the appeal could be heard, the council passed a moratorium on collectives. The appeal cannot be heard until after the temporary ban has ended. The group backing the marijuana collective did not have the money available to wait that long. Danny Dorman spoke Wednesday on behalf of Island of Health requesting an exclusive agreement to work with the city to open a collective. While the council didn't go for that, Matsumoto did ask staff to deduct costs already paid by the group from any application fee required during the upcoming bid process. In San Mateo County, Colma, Half Moon Bay and Millbrae have banned collectives. Collectives are allowed in San Carlos, San Mateo and the unincorporated parts of San Mateo County. Many cities - Brisbane, Daly City, San Bruno and Redwood City - have temporary bans in place. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom