Greenfield weighs medical marijuana dispensary proposal

Tension brewed in Greenfield Tuesday as residents debated the future of medical marijuana in the city. Greenfield City Council was the most recent city to take on the dispensary debate.

In a packed meeting Tuesday night, voiced strong opinions on both sides of that debate. NewsChannel 5 spoke with Gabriel Trujillo who asked the city for permission to open a dispensary in Greenfield last month.

Born and raised in Greenfield, Trujillo, 29, works in the Bay Area, but he wants to come home.

“There are no job opportunities right now in Greenfield, unless you’re in agriculture,” Trujillo said.

Trujillo said a new rule could change that. He wants to open a medical marijuana dispensary in his hometown. The law which council members are looking at would legalize dispensaries and marijuana cultivation.

“I think the Salinas Valley lends itself well to large-scale agriculture,” attorney Aaron Johnson said.

The public was given the chance to comment Tuesday on the ordinance, and the overflow crowd has a lot to say.

“A lot of our medicine comes from plants,” one resident said.

“Drugs are not good,” another said.

Local Catholic and Protestant leaders spoke against the ordinance.

“There’s enough drugs in the community already,” Pastor Andrew Salinas of El Shaddai Church said.

“I think it’s going to bring more problems,” Greenfield mother Maria Ortiz said.

Others said the ordinance is about care, like Army veteran Calvin Fahey.

“This is a medicine that gives extreme relief of post-traumatic stress disorder,” Fahey said.

Trujillo said the industry offers an economic boost that his hometown needs. The city council didn’t vote on the ordinance on Tuesday. For now they’re pushing for educational workshops before a decision is made.