Before an audience that peaked at four people, the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission tightened the ordinance against medical marijuana, and scheduled future agenda items. Reporter Dan Stork reports on the very quick session…
When Twentynine Palms banned medical marijuana dispensaries in the City in 2009, the concept of “medical marijuana dispensary” was not formally defined in the ordinance enacted at that time. The Planning Commission remedied that by recommending a definitional ordinance, which explicitly includes mobile dispensaries. Commissioner Cary Alderson noted that an inspection of web sites showed seven mobile dispensaries operating in the Hi-Desert, two of them out of Twentynine Palms. With Chairman Greg Mendoza acknowledging that a definition was being addressed, and not a re-visitation of the permissibility of dispensaries in general, the Commission approved the definition 4-0-1. Commission Bud Wiederhold abstained, after saying that he found the language overly complex and legalistic. The text of the definition is included with this story at z1077fm.com:
“Medical Marijuana Dispensary or Facilities” means any association, cooperative, affiliation, collective, facility, clinic or location where Qualified Patients and/or Primary Caregivers as those terms may be defined in state law, are organized to provide education, referral, or network services, and facilitate or assist in the retail distribution of medical marijuana.
“Medical Marijuana Dispensary or Facilities also means any facility or location that is used, in full or in part, as a place at or in which marijuana is sold, traded, exchanged, bartered for in any way, made available, located, stored, placed, or cultivated, including any of the foregoing if used in connection with the delivery of marijuana.
Medical Marijuana Dispensary or Facilities includes mobile sales and/or establishments from which marijuana is delivered to patients who cannot obtain it from a dispensary due to physical or mental disability, for medical purposes in compliance with Health and Safety Code Sections 11362.5 through 11362.83, inclusive.”
In other matters, discussions on community trails and RV parks were tentatively scheduled for the October 7 meeting, with a public hearing on the much-discussed vacation home rental ordinance penciled in for October 21, pending review by the city attorney.
TWENTYNINE PALMS PLANNING COMMISSION CLAMPS DOWN ON MARIJUANA DELIVERY
