[420 Girl]

CA: CannaHelp will not lose its permit to serve valley medical marijuana patients -- and Palm Springs will get an additional city-approved medical marijuana dispensary.

The City Council opted with a 3-2 vote Wednesday not to suspend CannaHelp's permit to operate at 505 Industrial Place -- and to take steps to allow a third permitted dispensary. CannaHelp owner Stacy Hochanadel will have to report to council in May on progress to bring the dispensary into compliance with the building code.

Councilmen Chris Mills and Lee Weigel dissented -- Mills only because he could not support a third permitted medical marijuana facility, he said later. Hochanadel was visibly relieved after the council's vote. "I was at a point where I thought we could have lost it all for our patients," he said.

Police, fire and code officials locked down and red-tagged CannaHelp's building on March 4 -- days before the dispensary was to open, after they found health and safety hazards, and hundreds of marijuana plants already growing.

The inspectors were stunned when they encountered CannaHelp's ambitious, 8,000-square-foot indoor growing operation already under way -- involving more than 100 lights, meant to simulate sunlight, about 46 tons of air-conditioning equipment, a system for 3,600 gallons of water per week and electrical changes, Hochanadel said Monday.

"I understand and agree I took some improper steps in my tenant improvement process," Hochanadel told the council Wednesday, adding that he's working diligently with his architect, James Cioffi, to submit plans with the necessary changes to CannaHelp's location.

Councilwoman Ginny Foat said she was upset with Hochanadel for putting the building's other tenants in danger and temporarily out of business. "I'm saying this out of anger because I'm one of his no. 1 supporters," Foat said. "These were not little mistakes. He didn't paint it the wrong color. He endangered people who were in the building."

Several on council said CannaHelp should be treated like any other business facing the same building code issues.

Hochanadel said after the meeting that he's aiming to open CannaHelp by May 14, provided the planning approval process goes smoothly. Representatives for the city's other approved dispensary, Desert Organic Solutions Collective, said they aim to open next month.

It was not clear how quickly a third permitted city dispensary would be approved, but City Attorney Doug Holland said the process would not affect progress on the other two. As of last month, four other dispensaries were operating in defiance of Palm Springs' city ordinance.

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