After hammering out the last details of the proposed law last week, the council was to put its final stamp of approval on the ordinance today.
However, Mayor Bob Foster said he is concerned about the law enforcement effects of not requiring that marijuana be grown at the collectives nor within the city limits.
City Attorney Bob Shannon said he agreed to postpone the vote until February 16 so that a representative from Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley's office and law enforcement officials could address the council on the issue. Cooley has aggressively prosecuted medical marijuana dispensaries that he believes are operating illegally.
Foster noted that Shannon and police officials had recommended that the council require Long Beach collectives to grow their medical marijuana locally. The council was divided last week over this, squeaking through a 5-4 vote to not have any location requirements for cultivation.
"As the ordinance is currently adopted, it could come from anywhere, outside of the state, outside of the country," Shannon said.
This raised concerns over how local police would be able to enforce some of the other provisions of the law, such as requirements that collectives identify where their marijuana was cultivated, provide test samples to ensure it is free of pesticides and other contaminants and destroy any contaminated plants.
Opposing council members also said they worry drug cartels could get a foothold in Long Beach's medical marijuana industry.
The Los Angeles City Council recently passed its own medical marijuana regulations that require collectives to cultivate marijuana on site.
Foster said he is just looking for all the facts by delaying the council vote. He wouldn't say whether he would go so far as to veto the current proposal if it becomes clear that law enforcement repercussions are likely.
"This is new to every council that deals with it," Foster said. "Obviously, we're never going to get it perfect. Nobody's asking for that. But you want to get it at least as right as you can to protect the city and to get the medicine to people that need it."
Other requirements of Long Beach's law include buffer zones of 1,500 feet around high schools and 500 feet around elementary and middle schools; a registration process for collectives; installing security cameras; using ventilation systems to prevent the smell from disturbing neighbors; and a prohibition against patients smoking or consuming medical marijuana at the collectives.
Source: Contra Costa Times
Posts
