An initiative to legalize medical marijuana shops has qualified for the Bakersfield ballot. Kern Citizens for Patients Rights attorney Philip Ganong says they have 35,000 validated signatures but it would still be better to have the city council create an ordinance rather than take the matter to the polls. That way, the city council could adjust the ordinance if it needed tweaking down the road and he says the group is willing to negotiate with the city or county on rules to allow state licensed patient associations. Ganong says this week’s passage of recreational pot in California doesn’t keep cities and counties from banning stores that sell marijuana.

Sean Michael Lisle