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Medical marijuana dispensaries are coming to the city, and officials want to make sure they have a say in where they set up shop.
Ward 1 City Councilor Michelle DuBois said keeping pot shops away from schools and out of strictly residential areas is the priority, but so is making sure they're close to highways and bus routes so patients can easily reach them.
"We don't want to zone so restrictively that we set dispensaries up for failure, but we also need to protect the quality of life for residents in the area where they do open," she said.
The state released preliminary rules for regulating Massachusetts' medical marijuana system earlier this month, and they will start issuing dispensary licenses in January 2014.
This week the Brockton City Council passed a moratorium on the licensing of medical marijuana dispensaries, giving them until June 30, 2014 to write the zoning rules.
Mayor Linda Balzotti said she supports the temporary ban, but she also wants to see dispensaries opened in a timely manner.
"I don't want to be in a position where lots of people are applying for hardship licenses and a large number end up growing marijuana in their homes," she said. Balzotti said she worries that some patients or their caregivers might divert excess marijuana to the illegal market.
The temporary ban should allow the city to create zones ahead of time, avoiding a situation that occurred in 1999 when the Foxy Lady strip club opened on North Pearl Street. The club was able to choose the prime gateway location because an attempt by city officials to limit adult entertainment to a small, southern section of Brockton came too late.
If the city delays the permitting process, then dispensaries might locate elsewhere, and patients could continue to cultivate the drug at home. The state will license 35 dispensaries with no more than five per county.
Patients with written recommendations from their physician can already cultivate a 60-day, 10 ounce, supply of marijuana. Once the state regulations are finalized, those patients will have to apply for hardship licenses, showing they can't reasonably purchase from dispensaries, to continue home-growing. Patients who have to travel more than 25 miles to purchase from a dispensary would automatically qualify.
There is some concern it could impact patient access as well, but it's unclear how the temporary bans will influence where dispensaries locate, said Matt Allen with the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance.
DuBois said that the city might not need a full year to write zoning rules for dispensaries, but the idea is to get it right, pointing out the city is still grappling with poorly written zoning ordinances.
"It would be nice to locate them near medical facilities, but that presents its own set of challenges," DuBois said, because hospitals that own the land might not lease to dispensaries for fear of losing federal funding.
The city is considering creating special overlay districts — a district that encompasses a piece of several different zones such as residential, business or both — to strategically place dispensaries.
DuBois said she's aware of several groups that have already expressed interest in opening dispensaries in Brockton but did not provide further detail.
Cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth have passed moratoriums as they consider how best to zone for dispensaries. Other area towns them as well. Some, such as Avon have passed a ban already, while Stoughton, Raynham and Bridgewater are considering them.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: enterprisenews.com
Author: Morgan True
Contact: The Enterprise Contact Us
Website: Brockton prepares for the arrival of medical marijuana dispensaries - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise
Ward 1 City Councilor Michelle DuBois said keeping pot shops away from schools and out of strictly residential areas is the priority, but so is making sure they're close to highways and bus routes so patients can easily reach them.
"We don't want to zone so restrictively that we set dispensaries up for failure, but we also need to protect the quality of life for residents in the area where they do open," she said.
The state released preliminary rules for regulating Massachusetts' medical marijuana system earlier this month, and they will start issuing dispensary licenses in January 2014.
This week the Brockton City Council passed a moratorium on the licensing of medical marijuana dispensaries, giving them until June 30, 2014 to write the zoning rules.
Mayor Linda Balzotti said she supports the temporary ban, but she also wants to see dispensaries opened in a timely manner.
"I don't want to be in a position where lots of people are applying for hardship licenses and a large number end up growing marijuana in their homes," she said. Balzotti said she worries that some patients or their caregivers might divert excess marijuana to the illegal market.
The temporary ban should allow the city to create zones ahead of time, avoiding a situation that occurred in 1999 when the Foxy Lady strip club opened on North Pearl Street. The club was able to choose the prime gateway location because an attempt by city officials to limit adult entertainment to a small, southern section of Brockton came too late.
If the city delays the permitting process, then dispensaries might locate elsewhere, and patients could continue to cultivate the drug at home. The state will license 35 dispensaries with no more than five per county.
Patients with written recommendations from their physician can already cultivate a 60-day, 10 ounce, supply of marijuana. Once the state regulations are finalized, those patients will have to apply for hardship licenses, showing they can't reasonably purchase from dispensaries, to continue home-growing. Patients who have to travel more than 25 miles to purchase from a dispensary would automatically qualify.
There is some concern it could impact patient access as well, but it's unclear how the temporary bans will influence where dispensaries locate, said Matt Allen with the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance.
DuBois said that the city might not need a full year to write zoning rules for dispensaries, but the idea is to get it right, pointing out the city is still grappling with poorly written zoning ordinances.
"It would be nice to locate them near medical facilities, but that presents its own set of challenges," DuBois said, because hospitals that own the land might not lease to dispensaries for fear of losing federal funding.
The city is considering creating special overlay districts — a district that encompasses a piece of several different zones such as residential, business or both — to strategically place dispensaries.
DuBois said she's aware of several groups that have already expressed interest in opening dispensaries in Brockton but did not provide further detail.
Cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth have passed moratoriums as they consider how best to zone for dispensaries. Other area towns them as well. Some, such as Avon have passed a ban already, while Stoughton, Raynham and Bridgewater are considering them.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: enterprisenews.com
Author: Morgan True
Contact: The Enterprise Contact Us
Website: Brockton prepares for the arrival of medical marijuana dispensaries - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise
