SACRAMENTO, CA - A debate about medical marijuana turned heated at the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors' meeting Wednesday.
After much discussion, supervisors voted to set aside an interim ordinance that would have allowed medical marijuana dispensaries under certain provisions. Instead, the board moved to develop a permanent zoning ordinance.
Dispensaries remain illegal in the county.
Supervisors will meet August 10 to discuss enhanced enforcement of pot dispensaries until there is a permanent ordinance, said county representative Chris Andis.
The urgency ordinance would have allowed allow the cultivation and dispensing of marijuana for medical purposes with certain provisions. Dispensaries would not be allowed within 300 feet of properties zones for residential or agricultural use. The dispensaries could only be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The county's Planning and Community Development Department wanted to make the ordinance permanent.
According to the planning department, at one time there were 84 medical cannabis dispensaries throughout Sacramento County operated without proper business licenses or permits.
Even though he said he is compassionate for anyone who really needs medical marijuana, Supervisor Jimmy Yee said his big concern was the availability of identification cards and recommendations.
"When you have stuff like this, my concern is it becomes more than medical marijuana, it becomes recreational marijuana," Yee said.
He held up a local newspaper that had 42 advertisements for pot stores and his voice cracking, Yee expressed his disdain for the ads. "It's this kind of stuff that upsets me," he said.
Yee questioned the board's stand on marijuana dispensaries and indicated he would make a motion to ban all dispensaries in the county.
George Mull, president of the California Cannabis Association, agreed there should be regulations and caps on dispensaries.
"I agree with you about controlling the number of stores," Mull said. "If they don't want caps, then it becomes about money. People need their medicine and it should be available to them."
News10/KXTV