Residents of Santa Ana, California, will get an opportunity to vote on one of the city’s hot topic issues – medical marijuana dispensaries.
The city now bans these facilities, but this may change based on the voting tally scheduled for 2014.
The Medical Cannabis and Restriction Initiative will not slide into the background completely if most voter concede with opening dispensaries however. These same clinics will still be subject to business processes like registration, paying the taxes due each year, as well as adhering to zoning requirements.
OC Register has been a longstanding news source for city updates. The publication has covered this story from the inception until now. The long trail of stories included when initial signatures of residents were turned in, to when these were submitted to the county, and also when the council decided to weigh the proposal. One hurdle however remains before the November 2014 scheduled voting date, and this is the California Supreme Court’s decision on the issue.
Currently, dispensaries in other cities like San Francisco can be opened through the Department of Public Health. The startup costs may vary, and these are often aliased under other names like marijuana collectives or co-ops, cannabis clubs and more. Other states have additionally followed suit with the opening and deregulation of medical marijuana dispensaries or clinics – with the exception of adhering to business regulations of reporting income, stating the classification of a non-profit and more.
Some cities now offer these under the Compassionate Use Act under Proposition 215, where patients of cancer, AIDS, anorexia and other ailments are provided relief through these medical marijuana suppliers. At the present moment, someone who holds a state issued medical marijuana ID card will not be subject to arrest for marijuana possession. Neither are the caregivers of such patients. However, state laws have not changed regarding driving under the influence of this substance. If someone is caught and tested for traces of marijuana – he or she could be charged with a DUI, even if a medical card is present at the time.
Despite the current ban on medical marijuana clinics in Santa Ana for well over five years, the OC Register has reported that at least 70 remain open to this day. Some laws lie dormant, while others are followed up with, such as cases of DUI or possession of drugs for instance in the state of California.
Source: OC Register
Randy Collins
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