Pot lobbed to City Council

Chico’s Planning Commission has made its recommendations on the crafting of a municipal code regulating the cultivation, processing and distribution of medical marijuana, placing the decision back in the hands of the City Council.

The recommendations, hammered out during the group’s regular meeting last Thursday (Sept. 16), included limiting outdoor gardens to 50 square feet; locating processing and distribution centers no closer than 300 feet from an existing day-care center and 1,000 feet from a school; and limiting operating hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The recommendations came after a split vote. Commissioners Jon Luvaas and John Merz joined Chairman Dave Kelley in adopting the amended code, while commissioners Mark Sorensen and Mary Brownell voted no, citing fears of blatant abuse and dangerous exposure to college students. Commissioners Kathy Barrett and Susan Minasian were absent.