West Hollywood, Calif., places moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries

To help cut down on the number of medical marijuana dispensaries being set up around the city of West Hollywood, Calif., the city council recently adopted an ordinance for a 45-day moratorium on the establishment of new dispensaries. "While the city of West Hollywood supports the use of medical marijuana, we also have to guard against adverse neighborhood impacts such as traffic, noise, and loitering," said city mayor John Duran in a press statement. "We will soon come up with comprehensive regulations to strike the proper balance on these issues." City officials say the moratorium will allow for time to review increasing concerns and the potential nuisances brought about by the proliferation of unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the city. The city will analyze the impact of medical marijuana dispensaries and formulate necessary regulations to govern the location and operation of the facilities in order to protect residents and businesses from harmful secondary effects, according to a city press release. The issue will be brought before the city council again at its next regular meeting, scheduled for April 4. The council could extend the moratorium at that time. California voters in 1996 approved a ballot measure authorizing the use of marijuana to treat symptoms related to HIV infection, cancer, and a number of other chronic diseases and their treatment.