City to develop pot club regulations

At its April 4 meeting, the Sonoma City Council voted 4-to-1 in favor of having city staff develop regulations that would allow medical-marijuana dispensaries.
Police Chief Paul Day, who was attending his last meeting before retirement, warned that marijuana dispensaries were enmeshed in a confusing array of laws. Day said that dispensaries attracted crime and suggested such a business might better be located in the unincorporated area of the county.
But councilman Steve Barbose spoke in favor of the medical benefits of marijuana, saying that he has a friend of 35 years who’s paralyzed from multiple sclerosis but gets relief from medical marijuana.
Barbose said that other businesses, such as convenience stores and all-night gas stations, also might attract crime, but added, “That, to me, wouldn’t justify shutting (them) down.”
August Sebastiani cast the sole no vote.
Council will consider the matter again once the regulations are drafted.