Meeting To Mull Medical Marijuana Ordinance For San Leandro

San Leandro residents can air their views on the city's proposed medical marijuana ordinance at a public hearing that starts at 7 pm tonight at the Senior Community Center, 13909 East 14th Street.

In November 2010, the City Council approved a one year moratorium on the establishment and operation of medical marijuana facilities and dispensaries.

In 2011, the City Council approved an additional one year extension of the moratorium. It ended on September 30, 2012.

Since then the City Council and staff have discussed options including allowing a limited number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the City.

Last December staff presented a draft Medical Marijuana Ordinance for City Council review and comment which would allow for no more than two medical marijuana dispensaries.

The proposed ordinance also contains restrictions on the location and operations of dispensaries. Notable restrictions include:

• limiting the allowable number of dispensaries to two
• requiring a Board of Zoning Adjustments conditional use permit approval
• locating them only in industrial and commercial zoning districts
• requiring certain security measures.

In addition, the proposed ordinance says dispensaries cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school, library, youth center, park, recreation facility, or another dispensary, or within 500 feet of a residential zone. 

At tonight's meeting, City staff will describe the proposed ordinance, amendments to the Zoning Code and next steps in the public review process.

Most of the meeting will be given over to public comment.

The City Council expects to review the final version of the medical marijuana ordinance in late spring 2013.

The proposed ordinance and a related staff report can be viewed online:
http://www.sanleandro.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=13119.