On Wednesday, July 25th, at 6pm, the Solana Beach City Council will vote whether to put the citizen’s initiative to allow and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in Solana Beach. This initiative would allow for safe, regulated, access to medical marijuana for the Solana Beach patient community. The initiative allows for the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries that operate in full compliance with state law, with strict operational and safety requirements to deter crime and buffers from sensitive areas and between dispensaries.
“Due to the overwhelming support shown by the voters of Solana Beach for this initiative, we collected over 1,800 signatures in less two and a half months, when only 807 signatures were needed over the period of six months in order to qualify for the ballot,” reports James Schmachtenberger of the Patient Care Association, which sponsored the signature gathering effort.
On Monday, July 2nd, Citizens for Patient Rights, submitted over 1,800 signatures to the Solana Beach City Clerk’s office for verification, along with a formal request for a special election, if the initiative did not fully qualify in time for the November ballot.
The Solana Beach City Clerk announced that the initiative signatures had been certified valid on July 13th.
“Having submitted over 1,800 signatures, and having submitted a formal request for a special election as part of our initiative petition, we ask that the Solana Beach City Council vote to put us on the November Ballot or request a special election, out of respect for the will of the Solana Beach voters who signed our petition with the clear intent to have it appear on the November Ballot,” stated Jessica McElfresh, legal council to Citizens for Patient Rights.
Solana Beach has, historically, been very supportive of medical marijuana and marijuana regulation in general. In 1996, 52% of San Diego County residents voted in support of proposition 215. In 2010, 55% of Solana Beach residents voted for the full normalization and regulation of marijuana for adult use.
Also, last Thursday, July 19th, at 8:30am, Citizens for Patient Rights submitted over 5,900 signatures to the Encinitas City Clerk for a medical marijuana petition to allow and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in the City of Encinitas.
“We look forward to its successful validation, its examination by the Encinitas City Council, and its vote by the people of Encinitas,” stated James.
For More Information: www.citizens4patientrights.org, www.pcaca.org
