Goleta bans collectives… for now
June 4th, 2009 | by Don Duncan |The City of Goleta in Santa Barbara County adopted a ban on medical cannabis collectives on Wednesday, but asked staff to come back with recommendations for regulations before September. The City Council opted for a ban on collectives because city staff indicated they did not have time to prepare a permanent ordinance before the city’s two-year old moratorium expires on August 30. State law prohibits local government from renewing a moratorium on any business for longer than two years.
Patients at Wednesday night’s meeting complained that the staff report supporting the ban was one sided – focusing only on law enforcement claims that collective attract crime. City staff presented reports from police officers from San Diego and San Bernardino Counties, but did not include research by Americans for Safe Access (ASA) showing that regulations reduce crime and complaints.
The City Council heard emotional testimony from local patients and providers, who vowed to keep fighting for regulations in the city. There is no word on what the city intends to do with the two collectives that survived a federal crackdown on property owners renting to collectives last year.
Tags: Americans for Safe Access, collectives, cooperatives, Goleta, moratorium
