Wildomar City Council considers further discussion on medical marijuana
“These collectives are not going away. I think we should really look at this issue. I would like to make it [Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group] a model in the county, in the state.”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
While medical marijuana was not on Wildomar’s council agenda Wednesday night, public comments during the meeting in support of a recently opened collective in the city prompted a discussion on the matter.
Despite a city zoning ordinance banning medical marijuana, General Manager William Sump opened Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group on March 5 in the 33000 block of Mission Trail, but was quickly ordered to shut down by code enforcement.
Sump, 22, and a business student at Mt. San Jacinto College, said he received a cease and desist order March 8 and is abiding by it.
“We closed our doors,” he said.
“I apologize for our abrupt opening,” Sump said during his public comments to council members.
Sump also said he is eager to work with the city to ensure the safety aspects of the collective and wants to work with law enforcement to ensure compliance.
“We are trying to work together,” he said.
Sump told reporters after the meeting that his collective conforms with state law, but he wants to be in compliance with city zoning.
“Hopefully the city will draft a new zoning ordinance,” he said.
Under California law, medical marijuana patients and primary caregivers can “associate within the State of California in order collectively or cooperatively to cultivate marijuana for medical purposes.” Known as “collectives” or “cooperatives,” these non-profit organizations provide a means for facilitating and coordinating medical marijuana transactions between their members.
Edging for the collective, Councilwoman Sheryl Ade said since Wildomar has a rapport for being a “unique city” she would like to see changes made to the city’s ordinance.
“I don’t want that to be just a tag line,” Ade said. “The county is rewriting their zoning ordinance. I think we should be managers with this and I’d like to make this [allowing a collective] a model.”
Ade admonished Sump’s impromptu opening, but she urged council to consider allowing a compliant medical marijuana collective in the city.
“I don’t think any of us knew this collective was coming,” she said. “No one likes to be blindsided and it would have been in best interest to come to us [before opening].”
Ade said there is anecdotal evidence that marijuana provides medical benefits to patients.
“These collectives are not going away. I think we should really look at this issue. I would like to make it [Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group] a model in the county, in the state.”
After hearing Ade’s remarks, city council members Marsha Swanson, Bob Cashman and Scott Farnam supported Ade’s suggestion to reconsider medical marijuana zoning ordinances.
The item will be placed on a future council agenda; no date was set.
Commenting after the meeting, Mayor Bridgette Moore said “we need to look at the issue and get educated.”
Toni McAllister is SWRNN’s lifestyles editor. She can be reached at toni.mcallister@yahoo.com.
Yazmin Alvarez can be reached at yazmin.alvarez@swrnn.com. You can follow her @SWRNNgov on Twitter!
Tags: Bob Cashman, medical marijuana, Medical Marijuana Collectives, scott farnam, SWRNN, Toni McAllister, wildomar, Wildomar councilwoman Sheryl Ade, Wildomar Mayor Bridgette Moore, Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group, William Sump, Yazmin Alvarez
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- Honest to God
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Comment by: Concerned citizen Posted: March 11, 2010, 9:37 pm
Allow it. It will be good for local restaraunts and stores food sales. Especially chips. And cookies. And …
Comment by: CasuObserve Posted: March 13, 2010, 6:59 am
The City of Wildomar is unique and it addressed this issue head on. Now it is time to provide reasonable concerns and considerations to the elected officials and help educate them in medical marijuana so they can make a well-informed decision as to how best to serve the citizens of Wildomar.
Comment by: Someone who cares Posted: March 16, 2010, 6:54 pm
These people are neither compassionate or non-profit, as I know they are out for personal gain and recognition. The reason these people are not successful is evident in the way they still approach legal issues and still try to skirt the law. I would dare say the owners of the collective know no one in Wildomar nor have relatives there they are looking out for. It is merely an untapped market and they wanted to be first no matter how they did it. I would ask the city council find out where they actually reside and how compassionate their mission really is, and how many collectives they are involved in or tried to form in the past.
Comment by: Someone who cares Posted: March 16, 2010, 7:30 pm
They did not think speak-easys would go away either, but regulation has transformed the alcohol industry setting certain standards of responsibility not seen before. Weed is an herb that grows and should be regulated as anything we ingest, if it is bought or sold. Whether or not it’s food or drink, government standards have kept most food relatively safe from the uninformed use of chemicals, and the hygienic handling and the production of alcohol no longer poisons people as it has in the past when it is made wrong and not inspected. The future of the herb lies in total legalization, and the proprietors of these dispensing stores will soon have to give up on attempting to make an over comfortable living on both people’s needs and the farmers’ efforts. Please shatter the dreams of those who would build an empire on the backs of others, as is historic with people who try to control the herb , whether it is the government and it’s thieving police or criminals trying to corner the market.
Comment by: Wildomar to take up medical marijuana during city council meeting Posted: April 27, 2010, 7:19 pm
[...] marijuana issue came in front of the city after it was discovered that a cannabis collective, Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group, opened for business on March 5 in the 33000 block of Mission Trail. Within days the operation was [...]
Comment by: Wildomar moves to allow medical marijuana in its city Posted: April 29, 2010, 1:18 am
[...] medical marijuana issue became front and center for the city after a cannibis collective, Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group headed by William Sump, opened for business on March 5 in the 33000 block of Mission Trail. Within [...]
Comment by: Wildomar moves to allow medical marijuana in its city « Big Bear Observation Post Posted: April 30, 2010, 12:36 am
[...] marijuana issue became front and center for the city after a non-profit cannabis collective, Wildomar Patients Compassionate Group headed by William Sump, opened for business on March 5 in the 33000 block of Mission Trail. Within [...]