South County Cities Go to Pot

​Pot filled two South County city council chambers Tuesday night.

That is, separate issues from modern life in the cannabis age were taken up by the city leaders in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo.

The Laguna Niguel City Council decided to oppose Prop 19, the statewide initiative on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana in California.

While it's no surprise pot legalization would be opposed by a council in one of the most conservative corners of conservative Orange County, it is red-eye-opening to see why it was even voted on in the first place.

​Politics as usual, baby.

Councilman Robert Ming is running for reelection the same day state voters will or will not legalize. And so, he added Prop 19 to the council discussion on statewide ballot measures--which only wound up being about that initiative and Prop 22, which is much more relevant to a locally elected body as it would release state-held tax dollars to municipalities.

Ming and the only other council member to speak on Prop 19 expressed opposition. Like Ming, Mayor Linda Lindholm is also seeking reelection.

Meanwhile, over in Mission Viejo, the City Council voted 4-1 in favor of an ordinance that would prohibit prohibit marijuana grow houses within city limits.

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Scofflaws will now be subject to a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine or both under the ordinance.

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Councilman John Paul Ledesma introduced the ordinance because of a perceived increase in such abodes in Mission Viejo.