Council may stunt pot grows

The Sonoma City Council could send a clear smoke signal about legalized marijuana at its Nov. 7 meeting, as it considers a 45-day moratorium on indoor and outdoor cultivation of marijuana plants within the city limits.

The so-called “urgency ordinance” – which could be adopted at Monday’s meeting – comes on the eve of the statewide consideration of Proposition 64, which would legalize recreational marijuana across California.

If passed, adults 21 and older would be allowed to raise up to six plants for private use – though commercial sales of marijuana wouldn’t be allowed until Jan. 1, 2018. In the mean time, many cities, including Sonoma, are already cultivating their own plans to keep the law from taking root until its effects can be fully considered.

Under this schedule city officials would have time to develop their own guidelines to regulate the cultivation of recreational pot. The sale of marijuana is already prohibited within the city limits.

According to City Manager Carol Giovanatto, the Council is considering the moratorium on the advice of City Attorney Jeff Walter.

“He suggested the moratorium to put Sonoma in line with other cities throughout the state that are doing the same thing in preparation for the outcome of Proposition 64,” Giovanatto said.

Those cities include several in San Diego County, where small, rural and suburban cities have been scrambling to put laws together to keep personal and professional pot-growing in check.

The City of San Jose earlier this week imposed a moratorium on the sale of marijuana. Meanwhiledozens of other cities are also considering measures to preemptively ban or curtail the effects of Proposition 64 which, according to many polls, stands a good chance of passing.

The Nov. 7 City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m., in the Community Meeting Room, 177 First St. W., Sonoma.

Email David at david.templeton@sonomanews.com.