by Trevor Godfrey East Valley Tribune
(Editor’s note: Ryan Hurley did not represent the applicant in this case.)
The Mesa City Council on Monday voted against a request to rezone a parcel of land at 6350 E. Main St., just east of Recker Road, which would have allowed a medicinal marijuana dispensary to open there.
The would-be developer, Michael Richards, and the property owner, Judy Gaede, brought the request to the council in hopes it would be rezone the property from commercial to light industrial.
Gaede has owned the property since 1971 and insists she is only doing what she sees as the right thing for her property as well as the economic good of the area. She expressed her unhappiness, saying the hearing was supposed to have been about zoning, but turned into a debate over the merits of medicinal marijuana.
“I just think it’s unfair because I think it could have changed the whole thing,” said Gaede. “It is not a problem. It’s going to be like a doctor’s office. Nobody gets it.” Continued
Ryan Hurley, chair of Rose Law Group’s Medical Marijuana practice group and a founding member of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said while the real obstacle is conflicts between city zoning codes and DHS guidelines, the response from locals has also been stifling.
“There have been a number of use permit hearings that have not gone terribly well for some people,” said Hurley. “It’s unfortunate that we continue to see this sort of knee-jerk opposition to marijuana dispensaries. It’s tough to do business when people operate out of fear.”
To further discuss medical marijuana, Ryan Hurley can be reached at rhurley@roselawgroup.com
