Prohibiting or regulating medicinal marijuana shops will be considered at a special town council meeting next week.

Loomis council members will take public comment and discuss and deliberate on whether to allow medicinal marijuana shops at a meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the Loomis Train Depot.

Ken Zuvela, of Loomis, was concerned about the number of people a marijuana dispensary would bring from out of town when asked if he favored allowing shops to open.

“How many of the town population need medicinal marijuana?” Zuvela asked.

Zuvela’s wife, Julie Sarbacker, said that she did not want to see a pot shop open in Loomis.

“If people really do need it, why can’t they get it from a pharmacy?” Sarbacker asked.

“As a parent, I don’t want to see it. I believe it’s a gateway drug and this is just another step to legalize it (marijuana use),” Sarbacker said.

At their Aug. 11 meeting, council unanimously approved a 10½-month extension of a moratorium against pot shops to allow more time to study the issue.

The initial 45-day moratorium was approved in July, after a Colfax man informed council that he intended to apply for a “Nonprofit Medicinal Cannabis Collective Business License.”

Robert Dearwester, the applicant, said he didn’t have a location in mind for his Cannabis collective, but “wants to have a conversation with the council.” He said the shops are typically located near other medical facilities or in an industrial area.

Linda Kammerer, of Loomis, had no qualms about her response to the question of whether a medical marijuana shop is appropriate for Loomis.

“Absolutely not. It would attract a lot of riff-raff and we have a nice little town,” she said.

Jeannie Kendrick, whose family owns a downtown business, said she had “mixed feel-ings” as to whether a pot shop should be located downtown.

“I don’t judge the people themselves (users of medicinal marijuana). But not downtown. Maybe if it was off the beaten path,” Kendrick said.

A town staff report gives council the options of doing nothing, prohibiting use or regulat-ing use. For more information, call the town at 652-1840.

IN THE KNOW:

Special meeting on medical marijuana shop

6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3

Loomis Train Depot

Questions: 652-1840