Budding Controversy: Marijuana Dispensaries Look for Homes

The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an ordinance allowing the licensing of four medical marijuana dispensaries operated by non-profit patient collectives in the unincorporated area of the county.

No more than two dispensaries will be located in the populous U.S. Highway 101 corridor and nor more than two in the rural west county area. A licensed dispensary would have to be at least 800 feet from a K-12 school, public park, smoke shop and other cannabis dispensary.

Six days earlier, American Canyon went the opposite direction. Planning commissioners on Dec. 2 approved a resolution recommending the City Council adopt the new ordinance that “expressly prohibits” medical marijuana dispensaries and local cultivation.

According to the Napa Valley Register, American Canyon’s effort is similar to other passed and proposed ordinances in Yountville, Calistoga and St. Helena.

American Canyon’s effort to ban the dispensaries would be in contrast to Vallejo, just to its south. A check of the website weedmaps shows more than a dozen dispensaries located there.