The Anderson planning commission voted to ban medical marijuana on Monday, August 8, 2011. During an evening meeting that grew heated at times, the commission voted 3 to 1 to prohibit collectives. Voting for the ban were commissioner Barnett, Baugh and Mower. Commissioner Haggard was the lone dissent. Chairman Walton was not in attendance.

The city's council chambers were packed with people determined to tell the story of medical marijuana's many benefits, but city commissioners were quick to point out that the issue at hand was not whether medical marijuana was beneficial to patients, but what Anderson residents wanted.

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