San Jose Pot Growers Fight For Referendum On Dispensary Closures
SAN JOSE (KCBS) –Medical marijuana dispensary owners in San Jose are pinning their collective hopes on a referendum against a new city ordinance that requires 130 of 140 clubs in the city to close within 30 days.
A signature gathering effort starts Wednesday to overturn the ordinance, which collective owners see as too restrictive.
"We'll have about 30 days, starting today, to collect around 60,000 signatures," said Dave Hodges with the All American Cannabis Club. "In the city of San Jose we have about 1,500 people whose jobs depend on this issue. So we have a lot of people that are very motivated to make this happen."
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said that it would cost the city one million to four million dollars to put the issue on the ballot, depending on when the election is held.
"If there's something else on the ballot then it reduces the cost," said Reed. "If it's a stand-alone, with one issue only, then it could be as much as $4 million."
The new ordinance limits the number of pot clubs to 10, and requires on-site marijuana cultivation.
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