No change for Laguna’s marijuana laws

Laguna Beach will see little effect on its medical dispensary laws following Monday’s California Supreme Court ruling.

“Laguna Beach requires all businesses to comply with federal, state and local laws,� Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig wrote in an email. “Medical marijuana dispensaries are prohibited under federal law so those businesses are not allowed in Laguna Beach.�

The state Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling gives cities the authority to prohibit storefront dispensaries under land use and zoning powers.

However, Laguna Beach is far from a dispensary hot-bed.

“There are no dispensaries that I am aware of,� Pietig said. “If someone tried to open a dispensary we would refer them to the [city’s] municipal code that mandates compliance with federal and state laws.�

The decision comes despite the 1996 California voter-approved Compassionate Use Act, which removed obstacles for qualified patients to obtain and use marijuana for legitimate medical purposes.

The federal government also does not condone cannabis for medical use.