UPLAND >> A proposal that will ban both medical and recreational marijuana-related activities in the city is going to the Planning Commission for review.
After making numerous revisions to the ordinance, the commission will look at zoning and land issues. The council voted Aug. 8, 3-2, expedite to have a total ban in place before the November election — when voters across the state may approve the use of recreational marijuana.
“If we don’t have a ban in place, Upland will have not regulations to prohibit recreational marijuana or anything dealing with recreational marijuana, which means the day after the election could be anarchy,” said Councilwoman Carol Timm.
The city’s municipal code currently bans medical marijuana dispensaries and mobile dispensaries. Before the commission will be a proposal to explicitly ban cultivating, dispensing, transporting, distributing, processing, labeling and testing.
“Without a ban, the freedoms and safety of residents would be comprised,” Tmm said.
Permanent regulations by the state aren’t expected to be enacted until 2018, she said.
The City Council was initially considering placing a total ban on the November ballot itself but opted against it after realizing the move could create policy barriers.
If the citizens voted on the total ban, any amendments to the measure could not have been changed without another public vote.
Timm said the time to vote for a ban or to regulate marijuana will be once the city’s knows how recreational marijuana will be handled by the state.
At the July 25 meeting, the council asked for more revisions to the ordinance. The ad hoc committee, which consists of Timm and Mayor Ray Musser, reviewed the ordinance and eliminated redundancies and words that are not applicable, such as morals and property values, Timm said.
At Monday’s meeting, Councilman Glenn Bozar asked for an additional revision before it was sent to the Planning Commission.
Bozar was concerned the language on outdoor cultivation was not strong enough.
“We want to make this as tight as possible to avoid problems in the neighborhoods,” he said.
Council members Debbie Stone and Gino Filippi voted against the ordinance.
