Del Rey Oaks considers allowing medical marijuana shops

Medical marijuana is one step closer to cropping up on the Monterey Peninsula. Several cities ban it, but Del Rey Oaks is considering opening its doors to what some call an opportunity.

On Tuesday night, NewsChannel 5 found out a businesswoman from Pebble Beach is looking to open a medical marijuana clinic at the corner of Canyon Del Rey and North Fremont. Del Rey Oaks city leaders said the planning department will work on creating an ordinance to potentially make that a reality.

“I’ve not been an advocate. My brother used to smoke a lot of pot I guess they would have called him a stoner in the ’70s. What I’ve learned now is that he was self-medicating for depression and anxiety,” said businesswoman Valentia Piccinini

Piccinini said she’s had multiple sclerosis for 25 years. After four broken ribs and a torn rotator cuff put her in the hospital, she said a doctor in Santa Cruz showed her she could fight the crippling affects of MS with the help of medical marijuana. Now Piccinini said she was to do the same for others.

“I have a sucker that’s made for me down in Carmel Valley and I see the quality of my life, I no longer have a walker,” Piccinini said.

But some remain skeptical, saying Del Rey Oaks is too small to tackle such a controversial issue.

“I don’t think anyone in this room believes that medical marijuana dispensary will be for medical use only,” said a resident who opposes the idea of a medical marijuana dispensary.

Mayor Jerry Edelen thinks the idea should be given a fair chance, before being shot down. He said taxpayers could see a big chunk of change, but exactly how much is still unclear.

“The tax issue is pretty wide open. It would be up to the council to decide what percentage to tax and I haven’t gotten that down the road yet, I want to hear the arguments from both sides,” Edelen said.

Different than some pot shops in Santa Cruz County, Piccinini hopes to open a clinic with everything on-site.

“I’m hoping to have a doctor on-site. I already have a pharmacist who’s ready to start compounding through the extraction process,” Piccinini said.

On Tuesday night, all but one City Council member voted in support of creating local regulations to potentially give Piccinini guidelines.

Piccinini said there’s several other people interested in opening a shop in Del Rey Oaks as well. She said she’s also working with the city of Monterey, to possibly open one there.