There is a new ban on marijuana in Red Bluff. It is a very complex and complicated issue. We will start with the new regulations approved by the Red Bluff City Council Tuesday night.

The council actually approved two ordinances on medicinal marijuana. The first, called ordinance 1000, prohibits growing medical marijuana inside city limits. That includes all home grows. That ordinance will not go into effect until 45 days after Tuesday’s approval.

Red Bluff's Police Chief tells us it is because the ordinance will not be official until the council makes a final vote on it, which will be November 17th. After that, there is a 30-day waiting period before officials can start enforcing it.

The second ordinance, called ordinance 1003, prohibits any marijuana collectives, dispensaries, and cooperatives from operating within city limits. That was an emergency ordinance and went into effect immediately following Tuesday night's vote.

If officials do find a dispensary, collective or co-op open in Red Bluff, they can cite the owners and landlords for breaking the law.

Why did the City Council approve the ban? That was the question many people were asking Tuesday night after council members approved the new ordinances.

City Council members we spoke with say that Tuesday night's vote was not personal; they were just doing what the people told them to.

Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Jeffery Moyer says he respects the California voters who passed Prop 215 13 years ago. He said Tuesday night's ordinance was not about the right to use medicinal marijuana, but was more about whether Red Bluff wanted to be associated with it.

Councilman Moyer says city officials in Red Bluff have been opposed to medical marijuana collectives for a while now, and the new ordinance simply lays out in black and white that medicinal marijuana collectives, dispensaries, co-ops and grows are not permitted in the City.