[420 Girl]

Cathedral City took its first steps Wednesday toward joining a number of other Coachella Valley cities that have banned medical marijuana dispensaries from their confines.

In a first reading of a proposed ordinance put forth by City Attorney Charles Green, the City Council approved the ban in a 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Paul Marchand and Greg Pettis voting no.

“The vote is not an indictment of medicinal marijuana,” said Mayor Kathy DeRosa.

It doesn't deal with the value of medicinal marijuana, she said. Instead, it deals with the location — prohibiting such a business in Cathedral City.

The ordinance is one of two that would ban dispensaries from operating within the city.

The first ordinance, which underwent its first reading Wednesday, declares establishing, maintaining or operating a medical marijuana dispensary a “public nuisance” and an “unlawful use” in Cathedral City.

Wednesday's approval means there will be a second, and final, vote on it at a future meeting. If approved again, the new ordinance would go into effect 30 days later.

The second ordinance, which is scheduled to go before the Cathedral City Planning Commission on May 20, would prohibit establishing medical marijuana dispensaries in any of the city's zoning districts.

Once the Planning Commission makes its recommendation, council members will vote on the ordinance.

Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta and Palm Desert have banned dispensaries. Riverside County also has a ban for unincorporated areas.

“There is absolutely no credence to this ‘nuisance,'” said Brandon Yeager, 29, of Desert Hot Springs, who encouraged members to vote against the ban.

He added he has been a customer of the medical marijuana dispensaries in Palm Springs.

For Councilman Chuck Vasquez, one of the critical points of the issue is having a “recommendation” versus a “prescription.”

Anyone who comes in with nausea, anxiety or other symptoms that can be self-diagnosed is able to receive a recommendation to get medicinal marijuana, he said. And many abuse the system.

“There are no safeguards. There are no restrictions,” he said.

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