Sonoma City Council Bans Marijuana Gardens

With a 4-1 vote, the Sonoma City Council adopted an immediate ban on the outside growth of recreational marijuana plants on Monday, in attempts to prevent people from enforcing Prop. 64, which passed legalized the recreational use of marijuana last night.

This is not the first ban that the city has placed to regulate the cultivation of marijuana since they have already banned medical marijuana garden reports the Press Democrat.

Jeff Walter, City Attorney, said that this vote is an attempt for the City Council to learn more about the effects of Proposition 64 and to control the cultivation of the plant.

The ordinance took effect immediately and will last 45 days with possible extension for two years.

Rachel Hundley, Councilmember, casted the dissenting vote and expressed her frustration of the vote the night before voters voted on the legalization of cannabis in the state.

Mayor Laurie Gallian said that the ordinance would help the city have control of the regulation of marijuana, giving residents the opportunities to express their feelings on the issue.

Sonoma is among many cities in the state that have enforced ordinances on the regulation of sales and cultivation and the ban of outdoor marijuana plants.

Proposition 64 gives cities local control to ban personal use and the ban on outdoor planting of marijuana for non-medical use.

Read more at the Press Democrat.