Medical marijuana ordinances will head to the City Council

A conflicted Planning Commission completed ordinances Wednesday for the location and operation of medical marijuana collectives in Laguna Beach.

The commission was instructed by the City Council to come up with the ordinances, but they also crafted a third ordinance which would prohibit dispensing medical marijuana in town, which the commission unanimously supported.

“It’s an unfortunate situation because we realize there are people in real need, but we were dealing with a poorly written state law created by initiative that doesn’t leave us a lot of options,” Commission Chairman Norm Grossman said.

“The law was set up for collectives, not to make a profit. We did our best to ensure that, but in the end we felt it was impossible.”

An estimated 40 people attended the hearing.

“Probably half of them spoke, the majority opposed,” Commissioner Anne Johnson said.

School Board members Jan Vickers and Ketta Brown, Principals Joanne Culverhouse and Don Austin and parents spoke against marijuana facilities.

Brown read a resolution passed the previous night by the board, which opposes any facility distributing marijuana in Laguna. The ordinances will be forwarded to the council for a decision, date of the hearing to be announced.

“” Barbara Diamond