http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_18161344
SAN DIEGO—San Diego's medical marijuana advocates have collected thousands of signatures that could see voters decide the fate of new restrictions on pot clinics, a report said Saturday.
The group Citizens for Patient Rights has turned in more than 46,000 signatures for a ballot initiative, well past the 31,000 the city requires for the issue to proceed, though they still must be verified.
At issue is a recently ratified ordinance that limits medical pot dispensaries to commercial and industrial zones and prohibits them within 600 feet of schools, playgrounds and other facilities.
Citizens for Patient Rights told The San Diego Union-Tribune in a story published Saturday that the law amounts to a de facto ban on marijuana collectives.
If enough signatures are certified, the City Council must either overturn its ordinance or put the issue on a ballot within 11 months. Depending on how long it takes for the signatures to be tallied, the measure could end up on the June 2012 ballot.
"The people have made a statement to City Hall that they need to take care of the citizens' needs and not just City Hall's needs," Randall Welty of the Patient Care Association of California told the Union-Tribune. "This effort speaks exactly to patients' needs in San Diego." The council ratified the new ordinance in April, along with another that requires dispensaries to operate as nonprofits, curtail business hours and hire security guards.
The likelihood of a pricey special election could spur the city to make a change first and avoid the $3 million-or-more price tag.
Earlier this year the City Council voted to repeal its own ordinance restricting retail supercenters after Walmart collected enough signatures for a special election.
"To put $3 million toward this effort wouldn't be a priority for me relative to restoring library hours," said Councilman Todd Gloria.
Really hope we can pull this off, otherwise I might have to move.
SAN DIEGO—San Diego's medical marijuana advocates have collected thousands of signatures that could see voters decide the fate of new restrictions on pot clinics, a report said Saturday.
The group Citizens for Patient Rights has turned in more than 46,000 signatures for a ballot initiative, well past the 31,000 the city requires for the issue to proceed, though they still must be verified.
At issue is a recently ratified ordinance that limits medical pot dispensaries to commercial and industrial zones and prohibits them within 600 feet of schools, playgrounds and other facilities.
Citizens for Patient Rights told The San Diego Union-Tribune in a story published Saturday that the law amounts to a de facto ban on marijuana collectives.
If enough signatures are certified, the City Council must either overturn its ordinance or put the issue on a ballot within 11 months. Depending on how long it takes for the signatures to be tallied, the measure could end up on the June 2012 ballot.
"The people have made a statement to City Hall that they need to take care of the citizens' needs and not just City Hall's needs," Randall Welty of the Patient Care Association of California told the Union-Tribune. "This effort speaks exactly to patients' needs in San Diego." The council ratified the new ordinance in April, along with another that requires dispensaries to operate as nonprofits, curtail business hours and hire security guards.
The likelihood of a pricey special election could spur the city to make a change first and avoid the $3 million-or-more price tag.
Earlier this year the City Council voted to repeal its own ordinance restricting retail supercenters after Walmart collected enough signatures for a special election.
"To put $3 million toward this effort wouldn't be a priority for me relative to restoring library hours," said Councilman Todd Gloria.
Really hope we can pull this off, otherwise I might have to move.
