Three medical marijuana dispensaries will open soon in nearby Desert Hot Springs. Their city council voted last night on how many shops and the criteria for applications. The criteria includes financial and criminal backgrounds; how the business would be organized; the number of patients the shop expects to serve; and whether smoking will be allowed inside. The Council is expected to set application fees at its November 4 meeting. Applications for dispensaries will be accepted from November 7 through November 21. Desert Hot Springs is now the third city in the Coachella Valley to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. Palm Springs allows four shops and Cathedral City is vetting permits for its first three dispensaries. Tuesday, Desert Hot Springs residents will vote on two marijuana tax measures. Measure II would establish a 10 percent sales tax on marijuana. Measure HH would tax the cultivators $25 per square foot for the first 3,000 square feet, and $10 per square foot after that. The city of Palm Springs taxes medical marijuana dispensaries 10 percent sales tax while those operating illegally must pay 15 percent. Cathedral City is asking voters to approve a 15 percent sales tax on dispensaries in next week’s election. While the Town of Yucca Valley has banned dispensaries, a group of citizens is working to place an ordinance permitting marijuana dispensaries in Yucca Valley on the ballot.
