State Supreme Court Hearing On Pot Clubs Could Affect Peninsula Cities

Whether cities such as San Bruno, Millbrae and South San Francisco can ban medical marijuana dispensaries will be the topic of a high-stakes court hearing.

On Tuesday, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether communities can prohibit these marijuana facilities in light of the 1996 voter-approved law legalizing pot for medicinal uses in California.

As detailed in a San Jose Mercury News story, the hearing stems from a Southern California case where a wellness center sued to overturn Riverside's ban on marijuana dispensaries.

Millbrae, San Bruno and South San Francisco are among more than 10 Peninsula and South Bay cities that have some sort of prohibition in place.

South San Francisco's ban was approved in 2011, a reversal of city policy following years of incremental steps toward allowing pot clubs.

San Bruno also prohibited medical marijuana dispensaries in 2011, just as a two-year moratorium on the establishments was set to expire.

Millbrae adopted an ordinance in 2010 that banned medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.

Other Santa Clara and San Mateo cities with bans are East Palo Alto, Gilroy, Hollister, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale.

There are 21 East Bay cities with bans and two on the Monterey Bay that prohibit medicinal marijuana dispensaries.

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in San Francisco. A decision is expected in the spring.