Sixth permit awarded for medical marijuana dispensary in Palm Springs
It was standing room only at the Palm Springs City Council meeting where the council was awarding the sixth permit for a licensed medical marijuana dispensary.
Dozens of patients took to the podium to show their support for each of the six different applicants. Public comments took hours to go through.
In the end, the council voted 3 to 2 to give the permit to Joy of Wellness Center, which is owned by long time Palm Springs small business owner Joy Brown Meredith.
The new collective will be located at 142 W. Oasis Street.
“What as great day for all of the love that I give to Palm Springs and honestly just to be able to be a part of helping people heal and being a part of the medical cannabis industry, I am so honored tonight by the words that were spoken, it makes everything worth it,” said Meredith, who also said the Joy of Wellness Center would be open for business in two weeks.
Many of the people who took public comment supported Desert Water Co-Op which has been operating on the corner of El Cielo and Ramon Road since March without a permit. The council agreed that even though the dispensary has a large client base, it violates too many parts of the ordinance to be awarded a permit.
The other major contender was Palm Springs Patient Collective. The council voted down the permit for this dispensary by 2 to 3. They then voted to approve Joy of Wellness Center, which will be the only permitted medical marijuana facility north of Ramon Road in Palm Springs.
“The site is in an area which meets the location and separation requirements set forth in the city’s Medical Marijuana Ordinance,” said Palm Springs City Attorney Douglas Holland. “Staff will work with the Joy of Life Wellness Center to ensure that it can begin serving the community as quickly as possible.”
Even though there is nothing on future agendas about awarding more permits, Councilman J.R. Roberts said it is possible for the city to award more permits in the future.
