Officials move to extend ban on pot dispensaries

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday moved to extend the current ban on marijuana dispensaries in Glendale.

With little discussion, the City Council introduced an ordinance that would extend the current moratorium on the pot dispensaries for up to an additional year. The extension is expected to receive final approval next week.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are prohibited under the city’s current zoning codes, but the City Council approved the moratorium last year as city attorneys analyzed a complicated legal landscape.

On Tuesday, City Attorney Scott Howard recommended extending the moratorium as attorneys wait on an appellate court ruling on an Anaheim ban. Local officials are also waiting for the outcome of a November ballot initiative to legalize and tax marijuana sales.

“Currently the state of the law, relative to the city’s ability to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries, is in a state of flux,” Howard said.