City Council MMJ Ban Watch

UPDATE: No formal action will be taken on the city's cultivation ordinance or cannabusiness ban. BUT, three people -- Melissa Fairless, Kimberly Castro and Tyrone Carter -- have signed up to address the council in SUPPORT of the city's current ban on medical marijuana cultivation. The three anti-cannabis speakers appear as timed item for 2:10 p.m. - Scheduled Communications, having earlier filed requests to speak. There likely will be no opportunity for rebuttal of issues raised by those speakers; however, the council may accept public speakers during the "unscheduled communication" portion of the agenda, which can be called at any time. Again, no formal action will be taken on this date, but at least three anti-cannabis speakers are scheduled to appear. ========== The Fresno City Council may finally pass a personal cultivation ordinance to sorta kinda comply with Prop. 64 by not enforcing its current ban against people who grow only six plants indoors. OR, the City Council may hear a proposed ban on adult-use "recreational" cannabis businesses that were legalized by Prop. 64, subject to state and local licensing. The "double ban" would be added to the existing ban on medical dispensaries, which isn't working so hot. The uber-ban was tweaked slightly to exempt testing labs in industrial zones, and the Planning Commission voted 4-1-1 to approve the change (even though the City Council didn't ask for it). OR, the City Council may do none of the above. The talking points and sound bites are getting very interesting. The dates keep changing. These issues may not even come up until the Aug. 24 meeting, or even later, but who knows what the city is up to these days. PLEASE mark your calendars and be ready to adapt as needed. This is the most critical time for cannabis patients, consumers and businesses in Fresno history. Your voice is important! This event link will be updated when more information becomes available.