Photo: CBS 12
The City of West Palm Beach has voted to officially ban any future medical marijuana dispensaries.
Monday night's 3-2 vote, with Mayor Keith James providing the tie-breaker, allows the nine businesses that are currently within city limits to remain.
Commissioner Joe Peduzzi says the ordinance was needed ahead of a potential Constitutional Amendment on next year's ballot.
"I think it's prudent that we move to prohibit now because it is likely that this referendum that will be presented to the people of the state of Florida will pass for the recreational use of marijuana."
He and others were concerned that several more dispensaries would attempt to move in ahead of the potential approval of recreational pot, and he doesn't want West Palm Beach to be where, in Peduzzi's words from a June meeting, "everyone comes to buy their marijuana."
The concern is there might soon be pot shops on every corner. But City Attorney Kimberly Rothenburg says it's unclear whether medical marijuana dispensaries would be able to dispense pot for recreational purposes.
"(It) depends on what changes the state makes to the statute that regulates medical marijuana to allow for recreational marijuana...what that looks like."
The state Supreme Court will have the final say as to whether the referendum gets on next year's ballot, though it appears a petition already has enough signatures.