News » Will Palo Alto Allow Medical Marijuana Dispensaries?

October 4, 2011 by justin

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Photo: El Frito

In a display of democracy at work, voters will soon be able to decide if Palo Alto, California – the home of Stanford University and birthplace of tech giants such as Facebook and Google – will become the first city on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. The city is determining whether to allow 3 dispensaries to operate within its jurisdiction.

While medical marijuana is available nearby San Jose to the south and San Francisco to the north, as well as Santa Cruz to the west – 6,341 signatures were collected on a petition to the city council to consider putting the decision to voters.

A law created in 1997 puts zoning restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries in within Pala Alto’s borders, effectively outlawing them. When the city council was considering changing these zoning laws several citizens spoke out for and against the change – 12 for and 1 against to be exact.

With the city council unanimously voting in favor, the question will now be presented to voters and left to them to decide.

[source Palo Alto Patch]

Tags: dispensary, dispensary ban, Palo Alto, zoning