Paso council to consider medical, recreational marijuana rules separately

With a statewide vote to legalize recreational marijuana expected to pass in November, the Paso Robles City Council on Tuesday moved forward with plans to develop separate regulations for medical marijuana.

At the urging of residents — many of them either medical marijuana users or proponents — the council directed its staff to separate the two uses so medical and recreational marijuana can be addressed differently. Residents also called on the council to separate the issues so a timetable for regulating medical marijuana doesn’t hinge on the outcome of the ballot measure, called Proposition 64.

With that in mind, the council will form a committee to help determine how to regulate medical marijuana.

“It’s sort of like playing 3-D chess,” Mayor Steve Martin said of considering the various aspects of marijuana use.

Last week, the Planning Commission also considered the issue in anticipation of Proposition 64 and recommended the City Council pass the tightest restrictions for both medical and recreational marijuana that would be allowed under the ballot measure.

Proposition 64 would require local governments to allow indoor cultivation of up to six plants, but outdoor cultivation could be regulated locally. The commission recommended banning all outdoor grows but allowing medical marijuana delivery, which is already permitted in Paso Robles.

Police Chief Robert Burton told the council he was concerned about waiting until after the Nov. 8 election to regulate, should Proposition 64 become law. Burton said he wanted to prevent scenarios that could occur in a regulation-free vacuum. Commercial growers could buy warehouses in the city, anticipating future licensing, that would require officials to shut them down or grandfather them into future restrictions, he said.

“I wanted to make sure we had all the safeguards in place,” he said.

Dozens of residents attended the council meeting to hear the discussion, with many urging council members to consider recreational marijuana separately.

The City Council in January banned medical marijuana cultivation, but said they might revisit the issue. Residents called on them to do just that on Tuesday.

Chip Tamagni, who said his wife used medical marijuana during her breast cancer treatment, laid out a point-by-point proposal for legal medical marijuana cultivation and urged council members to consider recreational uses separately. He said he wants to be sure all of the marijuana is pesticide-free, which he can’t do when ordering from mobile medical marijuana dispensaries.

Marie Roth of the SLO Cannabis Collaborative said she supported the idea of a forming a committee to consider marijuana, an idea echoed by many of the speakers.

Assistant City Manager Meg Williamson said staff will present council members with parameters for the formation of a medical marijuana committee at its Oct. 4 meeting. Recreational marijuana restrictions will be introduced Oct. 18 and could be finalized on Nov. 15, after the election.

“It’s an opportunity to continue to have the focused discussion,” Williamson said.

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Paso council to consider medical, recreational marijuana rules separately."