| Graphic: San Diego ASA |
Good news! San Diego’s land use ordinance that activists say amounted to a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries has been effectively blocked, according to the group Citizens for Patients’ Rights (CPR).
The city of San Diego has verified the 31,029 signatures on the petition referendum from the CPR. The City Council now has 10 days to either rescind the ordinance or schedule an election.
In order to avoid the prohibitive costs of an election, the CPR, along with the Patient Care Association (PCA) of California and the California Cannabis Coalition, are urging the City Council to rescind the March 2011 land use ordinance.
If rescinded, the City Council has a second chance to not only create a new land use ordinance that respects the rights of patients to safe access, but also to work with the city’s medical cannabis collectives to provide clear guidance, 15 years after voters passed the Compassionate Use Act.
“We look forward to the day when patients’ rights are protected and the collectives can operate in a clearly defined regulatory environment,” the group said in a Wednesday press release.
| Graphic: California Cannabis Coalition |