Costa Mesa Seeks Control

Costa Mesa is taking action to limit medical cannabis businesses. The
city is circulating two petitions to try and add a six percent sales tax as
well and limit the number of businesses allowed within city limits down to
four. Up until now, there have not been any ordinances in Costa Mesa to monitor
or limit the sale of medical cannabis, but in 2012, the federal government shut
down the dispensaries in the city. Two years ago, medical cannabis activists
failed to meet the required signatures to qualify for the election.

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The first initiative, called the Act to Restrict and Regulate the
Operation of Medical Marijuana Businesses, would require workers to undergo
background checks and the dispensaries could not open near schools. The city
could collect a six percent sales tax. The second, called An Initiative to
Provide Revenue to the City of Costa Mesa Citizens, has similar restrictions.
It was filed by Costa Mesa residents Taylor Webster and Michael Levesque. Like
the first one, filed by Robert Taft, Jr. and Kevin Gardner, it places several
restrictions on the regulated cannabis businesses.

Both advocates must collect 4,896 petition signatures from registered
voters to qualify the initiatives for the November ballot in Costa Mesa.