Fallon City Council votes against recreational marijuana

The Fallon City Council voted against recreational marijuana sales during its regular meeting on Tuesday.

Members of the council opposed it for three main reasons: the lack of county votes in favor of it; the effects on users and surrounding people; and it’s not legal on a federal level.

“It’s a troubling situation and it’s complex,” said Councilman Bob Erickson. “The issue needs to resolved in a federal level — regulated by states or continue to be a scheduled one. Whether it’s addictive or harmful, the science behind it is debatable. But I think my concern was the legal status of it and whether or not we should have it in the community and have it resolved at the federal level.”

The motion was to direct City staff to draft an ordinance amending the Fallon Municipal Code to prohibit the following components: adoption of zoning regulations and licensing requirements for marijuana cultivation and testing facilities, distributors, and non-medical retail stores for the production of edible and infused products.

Although Question 2 was passed in the state with majority in favor during the 2016 elections, Churchill County is a county that opposed, along with 12 other counties.

In Churchill County, 59 percent against with 40 percent in favor. In Fallon, the results were 54 percent against to 45 percent in favor.

“For our community to have a retail store of recreational marijuana is not a good fit for our community,” said Councilwoman Kelly Frost.

According to voting results from 1998 and 2000 on Question 9 to allow medical marijuana, both Churchill County and Fallon bounced back and fourth between opposing and favoring the option; in 1998, the county and city voted against it until becoming in favor in 2000.

Medical marijuana sales are allowed to continue.

The City Council will take up the ordinance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at 55 West Williams Ave.