Los Angeles, California – The Los Angeles City Clerk has verified and declared sufficient signatures submitted for a medical cannabis ordinance entitled “The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Control Act”.
The ordinance was sponsored by the Committee to Protect Patients and Neighborhoods, a coalition of medical cannabis patients, caregivers, and employees , as well as The Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance (GLACA) Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and UFCW Local 770.
The City Clerk will now prepare and present a Certification of Sufficiency for the Los Angeles City Council. Once this is done, the Council may adopt the proposed ordinance without alteration, or in the alternative, hold a special election or place the ordinance on the May 2013 Los Angeles General Election Ballot.
The initiative, sponsored by the Committee to Protect Patients and Neighborhoods (CPPN), will put in place strict controls for medical cannabis dispensaries, reducing their number to approximately 100, and give law enforcement the tools to crack down on rogue dispensaries operating outside the law.
“Our initiative will guarantee safe access to medical cannabis for those suffering from debilitating, painful diseases and conditions, while at the same time enforcing the rule of law and protecting neighborhoods, ” said Rick Icaza, President of UFCW Local 770. “It’s time to stop playing politics with people’s health and the safety of our communities.”
“GLACA remains committed to working with the City to bring forth an ordinance, but the ban was rescinded by the Council last year, and it would appear opponents to safe access on the Council are impeding progress on a workable ordinance.
We can wait no longer. The time has come for the City Council to step up and do the right thing for the patients of Los Angeles. We need an ordinance now!” remarked Yamileth Bolanos, President of the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance. ”
President Icaza added: “We urge the City Council to adopt an ordinance consistent with the CPPN initiative without delay.”
