Costa Mesa weighs medical pot ban

Alicia Robinson

The Costa Mesa City Council will decide tonight whether to follow a

number of Southern California cities in banning the establishment of

dispensaries that distribute medical marijuana.

Both Costa Mesa and Newport Beach have been approached by people

interested in opening medical marijuana facilities. In response,

Newport Beach’s City Council in May voted to put a 45-day moratorium

on such dispensaries while the city figures out whether to allow them

and, if so, under what conditions.

Costa Mesa City Council members now face the same decision. In a

split vote last month, the Planning Commission recommended a

moratorium on marijuana dispensaries. During the moratorium, the city

would create rules under which people can apply for permits to

operate dispensaries.

California law allows the use of marijuana as a medical remedy.

However, officials are still hashing out how that law is affected by

a June 6 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that medical marijuana users can

be prosecuted under federal drug laws.

Planning Commissioner Donn Hall said he proposed that

recommendation because to forbid medical marijuana dispensaries would

be tossing the voters’ will out the window.

“It’s basically telling them: ‘We don’t care what you said. We’re

smarter than you,’” Hall said.

In spite of the Supreme Court ruling, some organizations are

interested in opening medical marijuana facilities, so the council

will have to make a policy decision on whether to allow them, Costa

Mesa City Attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow said.

“We just feel that in light of the inquiries that have been made,

that particular type of use should be addressed in our code,” she

said.

Although three of the five planning commissioners supported

creating rules to govern marijuana dispensaries, it’s not clear

whether the council will agree.

As a Sheriff’s deputy, Mayor Allan Mansoor said he would be

concerned about the increases in crime that other cities with medical

marijuana dispensaries have seen.

“If we’re talking about dispensing drugs, that’s what we have

pharmacies for,” he said. “Let it go through the established route.”