Santa Cruz considering tougher regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries

You can add Santa Cruz to the list of municipalities looking at regulating medical marijuana dispensaries in California. The Santa Cruz Sentinel is, of all things, urging its Board of Supervisors to act faster, saying other dispensaries “may bud” before its elected officials again take up the issue in March.

Our medical marijuana dispensary lawyers in Riverside and San Bernardino have seen the media take thoughtful, in-depth, measured and considered approaches to the marijuana issue. This is apparently not one of those times.

The voters legalized medical marijuana in California 15 years ago. In recent years, municipality after municipality has enacted rash, amateur legislation that will cost taxpayers millions to litigate. Meanwhile, most marijuana dispensary owners would be happy to comply with reasonable rules and regulations that promote the safe, effective and legal delivery of medical marijuana to patients.

The last thing a newspaper should be doing is rushing a community’s officials into taking rash action. The city has already limited the number of dispensaries to just two. New plans call for, among others things, a bugger zone of 600 to 800 foot from schools and other sensitive areas.

Commissioners would give shops a year to comply with the new rules.

The CANNABIS LAW GROUP is representing more than a dozen dispensaries in lawsuits over local city and county ordinances in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Call 949-375-4734 for a confidential consultation to discuss your rights.