Reacting to new state laws that require cities to take action if they want to regulate the cultivation and delivery of medical marijuana, the Manhattan Beach City Council unanimously approved several temporary measures that explicitly ban cultivation, delivery and mobile dispensaries while it crafts more permanent legislation.
Marijuana dispensaries were already prohibited under city law, but City Attorney Quinn Barrow suggested the council pass the “interim ordinance maintaining the status quo in prohibiting the cultivation of medical marijuana until the city can obtain input from the public and adopt permanent regulations,” according to the staff report.
“The ordinance is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, and if adopted, shall take effect immediately,” wrote Barrow.
Governor Jerry Brown signed the Marijuana Medical Regulation and Safety Act in October, which dictates that the State Department of Food and Agriculture will be the sole licensing authority for medical marijuana cultivation applications as of March 1, 2016 unless a city takes action, according to the staff report.
Mayor Mark Burton praised Barrow for bringing the issue to the council proactively.
“People are scrambling and we’re ahead of the curve,” Burton said. “So thank you very much.”  ER
