The times they are a-changin'. And in Arroyo Grande, they're changin' mighty fast.
Just six months after passing a total ban on medical marijuana, the city council has done a complete 180, not only voting to legalize cultivation but mobile delivery services as well. Under the new policy approved June 14, qualified patients could grow medical cannabis for personal use within certain limits. They could also get the goods delivered to their door.
With the recent vote, Arroyo Grande becomes one of the first cities to regulate deliveries of medical marijuana. The ordinance will return to the council for a second reading June 28 and would take effect 30 days later.
"Ideas change. People change," said Arroyo Grande City Councilman Tim Brown. The string of patients who told their moving stories before the council had made a difference, he added.
The changes are likely just beginning for Arroyo Grande's medical marijuana policies. The council is already discussing potential legalization of brick-and-mortar pot shops. Meanwhile, an initiative calling for legalization of recreational marijuana is expected to appear on California's November ballot.
Read more about the council's vote here.
Image Credit: Flickr User 100651935@N07, https://flic.kr/p/fBeqM4 via (CC BY 2.0)