[420 Girl]

The owner of a medical marijuana dispensary has vowed not to shut down despite the fact that Walnut Creek's city council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday and approved a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana clubs.

Brian Hyman, the founder of Complimentary Alternative Medicine Corp., said his patients are happy he opened a dispensary in Walnut Creek.

But Paul Valle-Riestra, the Walnut Creek city attorney, said Hyman never got the okay from the city to operate.

"They simply pulled a building permit and started work," Valle-Riestra said. "At that point someone asked what are you putting here and they said a medical marijuana dispensary."

Mayor Gary Skrel said it turned out that Walnut Creek didn't have any rules or regulations covering medical marijuana dispensaries.

"This just hit us. [It was] somewhat of a surprise," he said. "Take a step back and see what is best for all of Walnut Creek."

On Tuesday morning during the emergency meeting, the Mayor and city council passed a 45-day moratorium on pot clubs to give the city time to decide the fate of establishments such as the one on Oakland Boulevard.

Hyman said the people who walk through his doors benefit from medical marijuana. He claimed medical marijuana has greatly helped one patient with stage four cancer.

"I see it in his eyes, that we've done something and helped him. Could that man travel over 20 miles through the Caldecott Tunnel? That's over an hour one way to the nearest facility," argued Hyman.

But in this community where strollers dominate sidewalks, the issue has opened a real debate.

"I think if the rules are enforced reasonably -- for real medical, for lethally sick cancer patients -- it's probably ok," said Walnut Creek resident Alex Shlafer.

City officials will spend the next 45 days hashing out the rules.

In the meantime, Hyman said his wellness center has an existing patient base and that he will continue to meet those patients' medicinal needs.

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/in...y-council.html