Yreka eyes medical cannabis ordinance, in compliance with Calif. law

Medical marijuana could be allowed in Yreka in 2024, following the passage of a new California law requiring all cities and counties to provide for cannabis businesses. 

The city will apply for a state grant to help it draft the enabling ordinance, since neither medical non recreational cannabis can currently be sold in Yreka. 

To be clear, the state marijuana business requirements are minimal. Cities only need to provide for the operation of a non-retail, delivery service for residents prescribed medical cannabis. But even that low bar was met with resistance from city officials. 

“We do not have to open it up to recreational,” said Councilman Duane Kegg, who opposes the sale and use of cannabis, in comments to tamp down any concerns the city may be loosening its no-on-pot positions.

Councilwoman Colleen Baker seemed to want to jump the gun and write into Yreka’s grant application limitations on the number of non-storefront cannabis businesses the city might entertain. 

Technically, the discussion at the March 22 council meeting was only intended to offer direction to the city around applying for a state grant to fund Yreka’s efforts at drafting a cannabis ordinance that complies with state law. However, City Manager Jason Ledbetter left open the door that this may be an opportunity to explore the allowance of recreational retail cannabis dispensaries, common to those found in other local cities. 

“You could decide you don’t want to comply with the lowest tier of compliance with this new state law. And you want to look at the possibility of doing something similar to the cities of Weed, Mt. Shasta and Dunsmuir, which is to actually allow recreational retail,” Ledbetter told the council. 

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The council’s anti-pot positions seemed to be little more than a pretense on primness, said resident Dawnmarie Autry, who went on to suggest teenagers are already illegally buying marijuana at local vape shops, an assertion Yreka Police Chief Mark Gilman would neither support nor deny, standing behind the department’s policy to not comment on investigations — actual or potential.   

Mayor Corey Middleton offered the added perspective that marijuana does not generally reach the level of drug abuse and destruction on the level of heroin and methamphetamine, which he characterized as a citywide problem. 

“Meth and heroin is the biggest problem facing Yreka right now,” said Middleton. “It’s the other stuff that is ruining people’s life.”

The council ultimately voted 3-2 to apply for the grant, with Baker and Councilman Drake Davis in opposition, presumably because after so much back and forth related to discussions around the actual language in the resolution, both members were unclear about what precisely they were voting on. 

Middleton declined to clarify, saying, “I’m going for the role call. We’ve had clarification.” 

“I don’t know what I’m voting on,” said Baker, which prompted an exasperated Middleton to read the motion again.

It was one of several breakdowns in general civility to surface during the five-hour meeting. The council will hold a special meeting — which it is referring to as a “workshop” — from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. March 25 to review “details related to the role and responsibilities of elected officials, review code of conduct documents, and administrative processes,” according to the official agenda. The council will also meet in closed session to review the performance of City Attorney Dohn Henion. 

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