South Sacramento business owners clash over proposed marijuana dispensary.

SACRAMENTO – A fight over cannabis is heating up as two small business owners battle over a proposed new marijuana dispensary in a south Sacramento neighborhood.

Diamond House Detox is a rehab center that treats dozens of clients with drug addiction every day.

“They’re coming here to what seems like a safe place to get treatment,” said Vicky Magobeth, chief executive of Diamond House Detox.

An outpatient treatment facility has been operating on Bruceville Road since last February, but now you may find a new neighbor in the vacant storefront next door: a marijuana dispensary.

“I was very concerned about my customers,” Magobet said.

The concern is that patients like “Hawthorn” are tempted to buy pot.

“I get inspired when I see something, or maybe when I know something is in my hands,” Hawthorne said. “Just seeing a green leaf gets me going.”

La Chrisha owns a cannabis store called Young Culture. She spent years going through the city’s cannabis licensing process and signed a lease for the space months before the detox clinic opened.

“Of course we were first,” she said.

She is a participant in Sacramento’s CORE program, which provides licensed cannabis supplies to people whose families have been negatively impacted by the war on drugs.

“This is going to change my life, my children’s lives, our generations, and our entire community,” Young said.

And she said trying to get a license elsewhere would take a lot longer.

“This is not an easily repeatable process,” Young said.

To compromise, she was even ordered to remove references to marijuana from her marketing.

“I agree not to do anything with cannabis logos, symbols, my brand or my name,” Young said.

Now, this drug dispute will be decided by Sacramento city leaders.

“Would the town be safe if they put this next to a high school?” Magobet asked. “I doubt they do, so I feel like we should be in the same category.”

Dozens of people have testified both in this case at previous public hearings. The final appeal is scheduled to be heard at next Tuesday’s Sacramento City Council meeting.