Supervisors Approve 45-Day Moratorium on Marijuana Dispensaries

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors today approved a 45-day moratorium that prohibits the establishment and expansion of any medical marijuana collectives, cooperatives, or dispensaries in unincorporated areas of the county.

The moratorium would only impact existing operations if they wanted to expand. Tulare County’s existing ordinance states that marijuana collectives and cooperatives must be located on land zoned for commercial or manufacturing use within the unincorporated county and be in a secured, locked, and fully enclosed structure.

County officials say the purpose of the moratorium is two-fold. First, it allows time for the staff to research, review, investigate, and develop/create, if applicable, any necessary new or amended policies, ordinances, and processes upon the completion of existing court cases dealing with marijuana. Second, the county is concerned with the potential detriments to public health, safety and welfare caused by medical marijuana collectives, cooperatives and dispensaries.