Encinitas voters will have to wait until November 2014 to decide whether to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. Residents in four other local communities will get to weigh in on the issue this fall.
The city of Encinitas could have adopted a dispensary ordinance on its own. But earlier this week, the City Council decided to put in the 2014 ballot instead.
Residents of Lemon Grove, Solana Beach, Imperial Beach, and Del Mar will vote on the issue this November.
The measures would establish strict guidelines for medical marijuana dispensaries. The ordinances would regulate operating hours and limit where they could set up shop.
Even if the measures pass, there are no guarantees the federal government won't try to intervene.
The U.S. Attorney's office forced the county's last remaining dispensary to close earlier this summer. Medical marijuana advocates say as a result, tens of thousands of patients have been left in the lurch.
