Lompoc City Council members unanimously rejected a proposed ordinance to regulate marijuana cultivation but approved the formation of a committee to explore the subject, at a Dec. 20 public meeting.
Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, was passed by voters on Nov. 8. It effectively legalized marijuana in California for adults aged 21 and older, but Lompoc banned cultivation in 2015. The proposition still contains language that allows cities to regulate marijuana to
some degree.
The ordinance defeated by the council allowed only indoor cultivation and up to six plants per household. In contrast, Proposition 64 states that an “individual” is allowed six plants. The Lompoc ordinance also called for space restrictions and routine inspections, and it did not make allowances for apartments or condominiums.
Residents heavily opposed the ordinance during the public comment period and urged the councilmembers to vote no. Crystal Reyes, a disabled U.S. Navy veteran and medical marijuana patient, told the City Council that the new cultivation rules would’ve been
too restrictive.
“There’s no legal, safe way for patients in Lompoc to obtain medical cannabis,” Reyes said. “You’ve outlawed and banned deliveries. There’s no dispensaries or collectives. You have to drive 50 miles to Goleta.”
Councilman Victor Vega proposed the idea of an ad hoc committee that’ll include industry representatives and city officials for a closer look at a better law.
“We need to do our research,” Councilwoman Jenelle Osborne said. “We need to have someone from the planning department talk about reasonable permitting and moving it forward to have dispensaries, and having storefronts and having deliveries.”
This article appears in Dec 29, 2016 – Jan 5, 2017.