[420 Girl]

Marsha Taffett did her best to try to sell her concept of an upscale herbal wellness center dispensing medicinal marijuana to the City Council on Thursday night but most of the council members didn't buy it.

Only Mayor Sam Storey embraced the idea of amending the city's zoning code to allow a medical cannabis dispensary, as allowed under Proposition 215.

"The best way to deal with the issue is to put it out in the open," he said. "It can be monitored. It can be regulated instead of having it in the black market." By the time Taffett had heard from all five council members, it was 11 p.m. She was tired but undaunted.

"I'm going to go to Capitola to get support," said Taffett, whose career is in marketing. "It will be a grassroots effort, no pun intended." Councilman Kirby Nicol supported an herbal wellness center but not medical cannabis.

"It's clearly a violation of federal law," he said.

Councilman Dennis Norton said he supported medical marijuana but not a dispensary in Capitola, at least not yet.

"If there were 200 people who needed it, I'd be jumping all over it," he said, citing Police Chief Mike Card's concerns his department is already stretched.

Councilman Bob Begun had mixed feelings.

Councilman Ron Graves said he voted for Proposition 215 but didn't see a demand for the service Taffett wants to offer. He had four e-mails from residents in opposition.

Few city residents using medical cannabis spoke in favor of a Capitola dispensary.

"There is safety beyond measure in marijuana — you can't overdose," said Julie Keller of Capitola, a registered nurse who has used medicinal marijuana for 10 years.

Capitola resident Barbara Gorson spoke on behalf of a friend, 85, in Aptos, a World War II ambulance driver wounded in the Battle of the Bulge who uses cannabis to ease pains in her knees.

"It's time for the stigma associated with medical marijuana to be removed," Gorson said.

"This sounds great but it's complicated," said Damian Alcaraz Jr. of Capitola, who uses medical marijuana to treat a traumatic sports injury. "You will have other clubs that will open. We need to work out all the details. Hopefully the police department will be in the know." A representative of the Capitola Healing Association, which delivers medical cannabis to people in Capitola said he would like to get a special use permit, as Taffett is seeking, and pay a use tax, as she offered to do.

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