The two Coachella council members who were part of "Team Coachella" have apologized for entertaining the idea of making their city a hub for medical marijuana cultivation and distribution. Their remarks came after a resident, Lupe Rodriguez, got up at the City Council meeting last week and called Mayor Eduardo Garcia and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Hernandez "Cheech and Chong," saying their involvement in the pot discussions embarrassed the city. The Wednesday meeting was the first council session since the Nov. 20 Desert Sun report on the meetings that Garcia and Hernandez had with Rancho Mirage Councilman Scott Hines, who is also a public policy consultant. [continues 629 words]
The statewide proposition to legalize marijuana is bound to attract plenty of attention, though the latest polls show it isn't gaining a ton of support. A Field Poll released late last week shows 48 percent of voters are opposing Proposition 19, compared to 44 percent who support the measure. An analysis showed "large partisan differences" on the issue, with 53 percent of Democrats backing it and nearly two-thirds of Republicans opposing it. Nonpartisan voters were evenly divided, the poll showed. [continues 249 words]
