SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego passed regulations Tuesday to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to legally operate in the city.

The City Council voted 8-1 in favor of new zoning laws allowing up to 30 pot shops in some commercial and industrial areas, U-T San Diego reported (http://bit.ly/1cP2g4x ). The move is a step toward culminating a yearslong tug-of-war between patient advocates and those fearing harmful effects on neighborhoods and comes after the council rejected loose restrictions last April.