The Pismo Beach City Council moved swiftly Tuesday to ban marijuana sales on-the-go. Mobile marijuana dispensaries will now be prohibited in the beachside city, following a unanimous vote.
Pismo Beach already bans brick-and-mortar dispensaries, but the issue of mobile services was never addressed. Mayor Shelly Higginbotham said that Tuesday’s update to the city’s existing law will help clarify the rules until the larger issue of marijuana regulations can be reviewed again.
"The writing is on the wall that there is going to be an initiative in 2016 [to legalize marijuana] on the California ballot," Higginbotham said. "We cities are trying to look at this in preparation. I think things are going to change, I think laws are going to change, and we are waiting to see that."
The issue of mobile dispensaries will return for a final vote on March 3. Pismo Beach will then join two other San Luis Obispo County cities—Arroyo Grande and Atascadero—which have instituted bans of their own.
Last year, the City of Paso Robles attempted to outlaw mobile cannabis services, but the council was deadlocked in a 2-2 vote. With city leaders declining to take further action, mobile marijuana delivery is now permitted in the city, despite a ban on traditional dispensaries.
Read more about Tuesday’s vote here.