Marijuana event organizers open to the possibility of returning to Lemoore in 2016

A spokesperson for the event, Amanda Younger, informed The Leader that it would not appeal the city’s decision. “”We will not appeal the decision,” she said in an email to The Leader. “The city council vote on the appeal is scheduled for Oct. 20, only 11 days before the scheduled event. We are unable to take a chance on that time frame.”

However, Younger says she wouldn’t rule Lemoore out in the future, in fact saying that “High Times” would seek another location in the Central Valley in 2016 to hold its event.  “If Lemoore is interested in hosting us again in the future, we would be more than welcome to the idea,” she said.

Younger said in an earlier discussion that early indications were that the event probably would have been a success. The event had sold close to 500 tickets.

Initially such permits are approved or disapproved at the staff level, as it was in this case by the city’s planning department. There is an appeal process, which could go before the Lemoore City Council.

New York based “High Times,” a journal in publication for the past 40 years, was expected to sponsor the “Central California Hallo-Weed Medical Cannabis Cup” on October 31 through November 1 and applied recently for a permit to host the event at the Lemoore Raceway.

A letter denying a permit for the event was sent to “High Times” on Sept. 25 via email and the U.S. Mail. In a nutshell, the city is saying that planning for the event doesn’t meet all the requirements of a conditional use permit.