Despite strenuous objections from a few community members — and ambivalence from the Wheatland City Council members themselves — a measure to extend an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in the city passed unanimously Tuesday. City Attorney Richard Shanahan presented a proposed change to the temporary emergency ordinance at the start of the hearing, which prompted Johnna Bartholomew, co-owner of the Wheatland Citizen, to protest. “I object to changing the ordinance,” she said. “It’s 6:15 and we’ve just received it, so that doesn’t make it much of a public hearing.” The change concerns [...]

Wheatland officials have drafted an ordinance that would forbid medical marijuana dispensary operators to set up shop within that city’s boundaries. An urgency interim ordinance will go before the City Council today, the Appeal-Democrat’s Nancy Pasternack reports in a story headlined “reefer madness.” If approved, the temporary ban will, “preserve the status quo within the city,” until a long-term zoning law can be established, according to the Yuba County city’s staff recommendation. City Manager Stephen Wright said the impetus for bringing the issue of medical marijuana to the City Council was an anonymous phone call. [...]