The Woodland City Council voted Monday to maintain its ban on recreational marijuana growth, processing and sales for another six months.
The city’s moratorium was set to expire June 2, but the 4-2 vote will extend the ban through Dec. 1. The decision came as no surprise, after Mayor Grover Laseke and several councilors in April expressed a need for more time to draft zoning rules for pot businesses.
That month, Laseke also sent a letter to the state Liquor Control Board, shedding light on the city’s apprehension about letting in a business that would violate federal law. Before the vote, more than half a dozen residents testified in favor of upholding the ban and one man, who recently applied for a marijuana retail license, pleaded with the councilors to strike it down.
Going forward, the city has assembled a committee of three councilors to work with interested residents on Woodland’s new marijuana regulations. The councilors have until Oct. 22 to produce a draft of their recreational pot ordinance.
