P.G. medical pot dispensary waiting for the high sign.

Medical marijuana entrepreneur Daniel Maniscalco has a new shop -at 115 Central Ave- that he hopes will be the site of P.G.'s first medical marijuana dispensary.

He's installing cabinets, signing up members, and preparing to invite the City Council over to see the place.

But before he can do business, the city must draft rules to govern pot clubs.  P.G. has enacted a temporary ban on such facilities, ostensibly so that it can create regulations for them. The ban expires March 3, and Maniscalco hopes  new rules will be in place by then.  P.G., however, could extend its moratorium for another 10 months.

Maniscalco says he'd considered opening up guerrilla style—without city approval, but ruled out that option when P.G. appeared willing to cooperate. 

When Mansicalco approached Sand City late last year, the City Council enacted a year-long ban, indicating that it would like the prohibition on pot clubs to become permanent. By contrast, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Monterey City Council directed its staff to draft a set of regulations for medicinal marijuana dispensaries—it has until the end of the year to do so.

Meanwhile, the California Court of Appeals is expected to rule within weeks on whether cities can impose outright bans on medical marijuana clubs.