Recent medical marijuana regulations has unturned leaves

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The potential impact of recently passed medical
marijuana regulations on the city of San Diego's municipal code is scheduled to
be discussed Wednesday by the City Council's Public Safety and Livable
Neighborhoods Committee.

The full City Council adopted regulations allowing dispensaries to
operate legally but under tight zoning restrictions. Collective operators have
to apply for a city conditional use permit.

Because the law doesn't take effect until April 24, no dispensaries in
San Diego are currently operating legally. They would not become legal
operations until the permits are approved, according to the mayor's office.

A City Council memo says the committee members have been asked to look
at how the regulations might affect the code on issues like product origins and
deliveries, food safety of edible forms of marijuana and processing of
concentrates like hash oil.

The ordinances passed by the City Council February and March calls for
dispensary operators to get a conditional use permit from the city – which
will be good for five years – and an annual public safety permit from the San
Diego Police Department.

Collectives may not be within 1,000 feet of public parks, churches,
child care centers, playgrounds, residential care facilities, schools and other
dispensaries, and not be within 100 feet of residential zones. Dispensaries
also are barred from having on-site medical professionals – a law intended to
prevent such businesses from becoming “one-stop shops.”