BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
Menlo Park City Council tomorrow (Sept. 12) may vote to temporarily ban the selling and growing of marijuana for commercial purposes.
Council will consider a 45-day moratorium that will ban all cannabis-related business so the city can draft regulations, according to a report from Assistant Community Development Director Mark Muenzer.
The passage of Proposition 64 last fall will result in the legalization of retail marijuana sales beginning on Jan. 1 unless a city passes an ordinance either banning such sales or regulating them.
The 45-day moratorium is called an urgency ordinance, meaning it can go into effect after one vote by council rather than the customary two votes at successive meetings.
Council will also discuss whether to allow other types of cannabis-related businesses such as those for growing, testing and manufacturing, according to Muenzer.
If council decides to allow marijuana retailers, then the council will have to decide whether to go to voters for a special sales tax on cannabis that would be on top of the regular sales tax and new taxes the state is imposing on the drug.
Council will also have to discuss whether marijuana can be grown outside for resident’s personal use.
Muenzer is also asking the council to weigh in on whether the smoking of non-medical marijuana should be allowed in apartments and other types of multi-family homes where cigarette smoking is now banned.
Council meets Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at 701 Laurel St.
