Santa Cruz Planning Commission To Hear Marijuana Dispensary Ban

Postponed from their November 5th meeting is a staff proposal to ban all future marijuana retail outlets and grow houses in Santa Cruz.

It's item #1 on the agenda (see http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10746 ).

The staff report can be found at http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10719

The Commission apparently divided 3-3 on the ban at its 11-5 meeting, and so postponed it so the 7th member could be present and more info secured. This important meeting and discussion has received zero publicity from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

In June City Council rolled over for a staff-initiated "emergency moratorium" to circumvent two applications for new clubs that had come in. (See http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/06/20/18603119.php ) Originally for two months, the "moratorium" was expanded to 6 months by a unanimous City Council vote in July.

The matter circumvented the Planning Commission at that time and cut short hearings by applicants under the absurd "Reefer Madness" claim that there was a "health, safety, welfare" emergency.

Unless folks begin to organize early on this issue, the marijuana Prohibitionists will ram it through. Particularly sad was the silence of the two clubs and WAMM on this issue--even though access to marijuana is severely limited.

Contrary to Progressive mythology, the Santa Cruz City Council has cut back oversight of police abuse around this issue (see 'Rump Measure K Committee Excludes Public Comment, Loses Audio Tape" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/01 ; "Barisone Report Hostile to Marijuana Initiative" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/15/18288169.php & "Gutted and Depleted Measure K Commission Meets Tonight" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/10/08/18452900.php/19/18564535.php).

City Council also maintained a de facto ban on medical marijuana distribution centers from 2000 to 2005 ("Designed Out of Existance: or why the Santa Cruz Medical Marijuana ordinance doesn't work" at http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9816/index.php) .

And it has declined to open its ballyhooed Office of Compassionate Use, nor exempt marijuana smokers from its Smoke Ban areas.

I've requested the names and phone numbers of the Commissioner members from City Hall and was advised they'll be e-mailing it to me. I'll post it when it arrives.

The audio recording of the 11-5 meeting was done on defective equipment that has been unrepaired for months, making it impossible for them to make tapes, but I've requested access to the original tape and was told by Liz, a worker there, that she'll seek to okay that with her boss (it's actually required under the Public Records Act).

For a vigorous (if often slime-filled) debate on the broader issue of marijuana use (which is the real issue, even though Prohibitionists are now using the cover of "Regulation") go to http://www.topix.net/forum/source/santa-cruz-sentinel/T9NFPURVNLLCNAAMA .

City governments have been increasingly repressive (perhaps because of PD and other Drug War interest group pressure) in using zoning regulations to "zone out" marijuana sales.

If we want to stop it here, we'll need to get together and act quickly.