Politics & Government
State Supreme Court Hearing On Pot Dispensaries Could Affect Novato
Many cities whose dispensary ban on medical marijuana facilities will be affected by the ruling.
Whether cities such as Novato can ban medical marijuana dispensaries will be the topic of a high-stakes court hearing.
On Tuesday, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether communities can prohibit these marijuana facilities in light of the 1996 voter-approved law legalizing pot for medicinal uses in California.
As detailed in a San Jose Mercury News story, the hearing stems from a Southern California case where a wellness center sued to overturn Riverside's ban on marijuana dispensaries.
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Novato is among the Bay Area cities that have some sort of prohibition in place. Since December 2010 it has had a moratorium on pot club operations, in line with federal laws that prohibit the sale of marijuana.
In June 2012, the Green Door Wellness Education Center on North Redwood Boulevard closed its doors under pressure from the city about two months after federal agents forced another cannabis club, Green Tiger, to close right next door to the Green Door facility. Within the span of 2009, another club opened and closed in Ignacio.
Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The state Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in San Francisco. A decision is expected sometime this spring.
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