Yucca Valley’s only medical marijuana dispensary was forced to shut down last December by a town ordinance that prohibited its operation in the town limits. Since then, residents have been trying to convince the Town Council to repeal its ban on dispensaries. Yesterday, representatives from the Alliance 4 Safe Access of Yucca Valley and the California Cannabis Coalition presented a petition to the Town Clerk that would require the Town to hold a special election for Town residents to vote on an ordinance that would allow one medical marijuana dispensary per 10,000 residents. Managing editor Tami Roleff was there when the 2,014 signatures were presented, and files this report…
More than 2,000 signatures on petitions to permit medical marijuana dispensaries in Yucca Valley were presented to the Town yesterday. According to state law, the Alliance 4 Safe Access of Yucca Valley, which organized the petition drive, needed between 961 and 1,442 registered voters in Yucca Valley to sign the petition to force an election on the issue. Jason Elsasser, who owns the Yucca Valley Medical Marijuana Resource Group, said he hoped there wouldn’t be an election. “A special election is going to cost the town money…. I really would like to see somehow the petition and ordinance be adopted by the town to avoid the special election.” He added that allowing up to two legal dispensaries would be good for the town, as the taxes from the sale of medical marijuana would generate revenue for public services and infrastructure in Yucca Valley. “There are several ways to implement a financial component to the ordinance, and I know the Town would like to see that, and I would like to see that. I’m prepared to work together and I hope the Town would do the same.” Elsasser said the 2,000 signatures were collected in about six weeks. The petition and signatures will be delivered to the County Registrar of Voters today, which has 30 days to certify them. Assuming enough signatures were collected, the Town then has to schedule an election for the residents to vote on the ordinance.
The owner of the Yucca Valley Medical Marijuana Resource Group, Jason Elsasser, will be on the Up Close show today (November 21). Elsasser is also the sponsor of the ordinance petition that would require the Town of Yucca Valley to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in Town limits. This is your opportunity to call in with questions and comments about medical marijuana dispensaries and medical marijuana. Jason Elsasser and medical marijuana on the Up Close show today, starting at 10 a.m.
