In light of the medical marijuana boom, Belgrade officials are in the process of drafting an ordinance that would ban public use of the drug, city officials said Monday.
The topic came up as a discussion item during the regular Belgrade City Council meeting Monday and city officials said an ordinance is necessary to regulate the gray areas of the state law.
During a public meeting this month when the commercial medical marijuana facilities were banned from city limits, many residents had additional concerns, Councilwoman Anne Koentopp said.
"When you listened to what the people said, the ban alone didn't just do the job," she said.
In a nutshell, the ordinance would only allow medical marijuana use on private property and out of public sight, according to city officials.
And the council is supportive of the idea.
Councilwoman Connie Campbell voted against banning commercial pot operators from city limits, but said marijuana use should remain indoors.
"I don't want to see people smoking it in public," Councilwoman Connie Campbell said. "They need to do that at home."
Belgrade Chief of Police E.J. Clark said the law would resemble the open container ordinance currently on the books.
"I don't know of any other drug that the doctor would recommend for you and tell you to share with someone else," he said. "It's not going to be consumed in any way that it can be shared with another party. You really don't want someone out there smoking on the sidewalk and a little kid is walking around inhaling it either."
The ordinance would also mirror impaired driving laws to prevent passing the effects of a passenger smoking onto the driver, Clark said.
"If the passenger is smoking, then the driver is smoking," he said. "If the state says the patient can use it, then that's fine, but only the patient is going to use it and not anyone else."
City Manager Joe Menicucci said Clark and City Attorney Rick Ramler will sit down in the coming weeks to hammer out an ordinance. The group will compare similar rules around the state to glean information.
In other business Monday, the council approved a first reading to abandon a portion of Grogan Street at the intersection of Spooner Road in front of Lalla Chadwick's home.
According to city records, Karp approved Chadwick's plan to erect a fence on the piece of ground. But Public Works Director Steve Klotz filed a complaint since the land is on public right of way.
"Klotz is trying to get people to move stuff out of the right of way and Karp was approving people to put a fence up in the right of way," according to city records.
A similar plot was abandoned in 2005 just north of the area in question.
In the end, the council approved the resolution of intent July 6 and the first reading Monday. A public hearing is scheduled August 16.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Belgrade News
Author: Michael Tucker
Contact: The Belgrade News
Copyright: 2010 The Belgrade News
Website: City to consider law banning public pot use
The topic came up as a discussion item during the regular Belgrade City Council meeting Monday and city officials said an ordinance is necessary to regulate the gray areas of the state law.
During a public meeting this month when the commercial medical marijuana facilities were banned from city limits, many residents had additional concerns, Councilwoman Anne Koentopp said.
"When you listened to what the people said, the ban alone didn't just do the job," she said.
In a nutshell, the ordinance would only allow medical marijuana use on private property and out of public sight, according to city officials.
And the council is supportive of the idea.
Councilwoman Connie Campbell voted against banning commercial pot operators from city limits, but said marijuana use should remain indoors.
"I don't want to see people smoking it in public," Councilwoman Connie Campbell said. "They need to do that at home."
Belgrade Chief of Police E.J. Clark said the law would resemble the open container ordinance currently on the books.
"I don't know of any other drug that the doctor would recommend for you and tell you to share with someone else," he said. "It's not going to be consumed in any way that it can be shared with another party. You really don't want someone out there smoking on the sidewalk and a little kid is walking around inhaling it either."
The ordinance would also mirror impaired driving laws to prevent passing the effects of a passenger smoking onto the driver, Clark said.
"If the passenger is smoking, then the driver is smoking," he said. "If the state says the patient can use it, then that's fine, but only the patient is going to use it and not anyone else."
City Manager Joe Menicucci said Clark and City Attorney Rick Ramler will sit down in the coming weeks to hammer out an ordinance. The group will compare similar rules around the state to glean information.
In other business Monday, the council approved a first reading to abandon a portion of Grogan Street at the intersection of Spooner Road in front of Lalla Chadwick's home.
According to city records, Karp approved Chadwick's plan to erect a fence on the piece of ground. But Public Works Director Steve Klotz filed a complaint since the land is on public right of way.
"Klotz is trying to get people to move stuff out of the right of way and Karp was approving people to put a fence up in the right of way," according to city records.
A similar plot was abandoned in 2005 just north of the area in question.
In the end, the council approved the resolution of intent July 6 and the first reading Monday. A public hearing is scheduled August 16.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Belgrade News
Author: Michael Tucker
Contact: The Belgrade News
Copyright: 2010 The Belgrade News
Website: City to consider law banning public pot use
