MedicalNeed
New Member
BOZEMAN - City leaders are speaking against the repeal of medical marijuana in Montana. Mayor Jeff Krauss testified at the Capitol this week, asking the Legislature to look to Bozeman for guidance on the divisive issue.
"Listen, at the City of Bozeman we have answers to many of the things you have heard from the opponents," Krauss said Wednesday.
"We've done work on this," said city attorney Greg Sullivan. "We've got a solution in place, it seems to be working well."
Bozeman's medical marijuana ordinance has been in effect since last summer. City commissioners and staff drafted the rules through months of consulting with the cannabis community, as well as law enforcement and those against the substance.
Greener Pastures dispensary owner Mike Nelson commends Bozeman for what he sees as appropriate regulation.
"They set some parameters," Nelson said.
"We zoned it out of residential areas. We zoned it out of the entryway corridors. We prohibited within 1,000 feet of schools," Krauss said at the Wednesday hearing.
"(We have)a prohibition on smoking in public," added Sullivan.
Nelson also said it was a good idea to cap the number of storefront businesses that can operate in city limits. That cap is set at 20. As of now there are 17 active store front businesses. Six businesses are also in review which were grandfathered in before the ordinance took effect.
"Slowly hopefully it will weed out the people who are not representing the business in a good way," Nelson said, adding he works hard to coexist with the community around him. He said these lessons of cooperation need to be applied to the state level.
But Sullivan is not getting really any indication legislators in Helena are pursuing Bozeman's model as a framework for a statewide model. He said regulating marijuana at the state level is far more complex than for a city alone, but that a state bill (HB 68) revising the medical marijuana act includes pieces of Bozeman's ordinance. Since passing the ordinance he's had other Montana cities calling, asking to take a look at it.
"So the state, not so much but some other communities in Montana, maybe," he said.
In a slightly different take, when asked if he thought the city ordinance was working, Bozeman Schools Superintendent Kirk Miller said the whole debate is sending a very confusing message to kids.
"Adult indecision around the medical marijuana issue and all of the stuff that belongs there is that there are students out there that don't know if it's right or it's wrong," Miller said.
He said whatever decision the Legislature makes should be soon so the body can move on to other issues. As one might expect, Miller thinks the body could better be using their time to work out the public education budget. He did say he hopes for more prevention program funding to teach kids the danger of using drugs, including marijuana.
News Hawk: MedicalNeed 420 MAGAZINE
Source:kaj18.com
Author: Dan Boyce
Contact: KPAX.com
Copyright: 2000-2010, KAJ18.com
Website:Bozeman leaders to Legislature: Learn from us on medical marijuana
"Listen, at the City of Bozeman we have answers to many of the things you have heard from the opponents," Krauss said Wednesday.
"We've done work on this," said city attorney Greg Sullivan. "We've got a solution in place, it seems to be working well."
Bozeman's medical marijuana ordinance has been in effect since last summer. City commissioners and staff drafted the rules through months of consulting with the cannabis community, as well as law enforcement and those against the substance.
Greener Pastures dispensary owner Mike Nelson commends Bozeman for what he sees as appropriate regulation.
"They set some parameters," Nelson said.
"We zoned it out of residential areas. We zoned it out of the entryway corridors. We prohibited within 1,000 feet of schools," Krauss said at the Wednesday hearing.
"(We have)a prohibition on smoking in public," added Sullivan.
Nelson also said it was a good idea to cap the number of storefront businesses that can operate in city limits. That cap is set at 20. As of now there are 17 active store front businesses. Six businesses are also in review which were grandfathered in before the ordinance took effect.
"Slowly hopefully it will weed out the people who are not representing the business in a good way," Nelson said, adding he works hard to coexist with the community around him. He said these lessons of cooperation need to be applied to the state level.
But Sullivan is not getting really any indication legislators in Helena are pursuing Bozeman's model as a framework for a statewide model. He said regulating marijuana at the state level is far more complex than for a city alone, but that a state bill (HB 68) revising the medical marijuana act includes pieces of Bozeman's ordinance. Since passing the ordinance he's had other Montana cities calling, asking to take a look at it.
"So the state, not so much but some other communities in Montana, maybe," he said.
In a slightly different take, when asked if he thought the city ordinance was working, Bozeman Schools Superintendent Kirk Miller said the whole debate is sending a very confusing message to kids.
"Adult indecision around the medical marijuana issue and all of the stuff that belongs there is that there are students out there that don't know if it's right or it's wrong," Miller said.
He said whatever decision the Legislature makes should be soon so the body can move on to other issues. As one might expect, Miller thinks the body could better be using their time to work out the public education budget. He did say he hopes for more prevention program funding to teach kids the danger of using drugs, including marijuana.
News Hawk: MedicalNeed 420 MAGAZINE
Source:kaj18.com
Author: Dan Boyce
Contact: KPAX.com
Copyright: 2000-2010, KAJ18.com
Website:Bozeman leaders to Legislature: Learn from us on medical marijuana
