Pubdate: Tue, 04 Apr 2006
Source: Tribune, The (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Copyright: 2006 The Tribune
Contact:  http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/391
Author: Larissa Van Beurden-Doust
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

GROVER BEACH EXTENDS BAN ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA SHOPS

Grover Beach has extended its moratorium on medical marijuana 
dispensaries and has taken steps to make the ban permanent.

The council voted 5-0 Monday to extend the 180-day moratorium that 
would have expired April 19. Without the extension, there would have 
a period before a permanent ban was in place that would have allowed 
such dispensaries to be established within the city.

The council voted 4-1 to make the ban permanent. The soonest it could 
become affective is 30 days after a second vote on April 20.

Mayor Larry Versaw dissented. While he said he's strongly opposed to 
recreationally using marijuana or any drugs and thinks a dispensary 
could be extremely problematic, he didn't want to give the message 
that the city has forever closed the door on using marijuana medicinally.

"My mother died of cancer," Versaw said while trying to hold back 
tears. "I do believe that in her case and a lot of cases like hers, 
that marijuana could serve a purpose. If not curative, at least it 
would have eased her suffering." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake