City 1-28

The Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously to extend the existing moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries by 10 months and 15 days, or until the council rewrites the existing ordinance, whichever comes first. The interesting debate occurred within the council’s Ordinance Committee over the maximum number of dispensaries the new ordinance should allow. New Councilmember Frank Hotchkiss, part of the conservative slate, joined with Councilmember Grant House, a liberal, to support a maximum of seven. New Councilmember Harwood White, who positioned himself as a liberal-minded swing voter, supported a maximum of two to four dispensaries. A draft of the proposed new ordinance will go to the council the second week of February.