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CUMBERLAND - The Town Council this past Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution formally opposing the location of a medical marijuana compassion center in town. Though no application for a Cumberland-based facility is before the state Department of Health, the Town Council adopted the resolution, proposed by Councilman Craig Dwyer, to symbolize the council's unanimous opinion that Cumberland is not a sutiable location for such a facility.
The brief resolution says that a primary reason the council would reject any such proposal is because the town “is not conveniently located for patients from throughout Rhode Island.”
“Several parties have expressed a desire to locate a medical marijuana compassion center in the state of Rhode Island,” the resolution states. “One of the criteria to be considered in the granting of a compassion center certificate is the convenience to patients from throughout Rhode Island to the location of the compassion center. The Town of Cumberland is not conveniently located for patients from throughout Rhode Island.
“Another one of the criteria to be considered in the granting of a compassion center certificate is the wishes of the city or town where the dispensary would be located,” the resolution continues.
“The Town Council of the Town of Cumberland hereby formally expresses its opposition to the location of a medical marijuana compassion center in the Town of Cumberland.”
Mayor Daniel McKee said the resolution was introduced by Dwyer in response to concerns expressed to him by constituents. McKee said he supports the resolution as a way to make sure medical marijuana “is not an issue before it becomes an issue.”
He said the town does not want to be in the same position it found itself in a few years ago, when officials learned that the state had licensed a methadone clinic that was looking at a site in town.
Cumberland is now the third community of late to publicly oppose medical marijuana dispensaries. In recent weeks, the Woonsocket City Council and the Coventry Town Council have both passed similar resolutions.
Unlike Woonsocket and Coventry, where medical marijuana clinics have already been proposed, Cumberland's resolution is a purely preemptive effort to dissuade potential marijuana purveyors from eyeballing the town, officials say.
In Woonsocket, at any rate, the council's resolution has done little to encourage the applicants from looking elsewhere to set up shop. On the contrary, Jerome Smith, a former lawmaker and retired chief clerk of the District Court, and longtime Woonsocket educator Dennis Gentili, say they intend to redouble their efforts to set the record straight on their proposal — and forge on.
They told The Call Tuesday they intend to distribute copies of their application to every member of the City Council and Mayor Leo T. Fontaine. They said they hope the document will clear up misinformation about the proposal and give councilors a factual basis for future discussions. Gentili and Smith say they will attend the next meeting of the City Council to answer questions..
The proposed Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Dispensary would be located in Park Square, with a separate grow house for cultivating plants in a former social club off Diamond Hill Road.
The General Assembly legalized medical marijuana in 2006 for patients suffering from AIDS, hepatitis, cancer and other debilitating conditions. Lawmakers modified the law last year to allow DOH to license up to three distribution sites in order to make it easier for qualified patients to get the drug.
Rhode Island is one of 14 states that have already legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for medical use, but among those far fewer also allow storefront-style medical marijuana sales, including Colorado and California.
In addition to Woonsocket and Coventry, DOH is considering applicants for distribution sites in Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston, Warwick and Portsmouth. So far, however, the only community that appears to have spread out the welcome mat for a distribution center is Johnston — where none has been proposed.
The Johnston Town Council passed on ordinance last week establishing rules for permitting medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as facilities for cultivating marijuana plants. The ordinance allows compassion centers to apply to the Zoning Board of Review for a special-use permit, but prohibits such facilities from operating within 1,000 feet of a residential zoning district or within 1,500 feet from a school, ball field, church or hospital.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Woonsocket Call - Home
Author: JOSEPH FITZGERALD
Contact: Woonsocket Call - Home
Copyright: 2010 Woonsocket Call
Website:Woonsocket Call - Cumberland says 'no' to marijuana center
The brief resolution says that a primary reason the council would reject any such proposal is because the town “is not conveniently located for patients from throughout Rhode Island.”
“Several parties have expressed a desire to locate a medical marijuana compassion center in the state of Rhode Island,” the resolution states. “One of the criteria to be considered in the granting of a compassion center certificate is the convenience to patients from throughout Rhode Island to the location of the compassion center. The Town of Cumberland is not conveniently located for patients from throughout Rhode Island.
“Another one of the criteria to be considered in the granting of a compassion center certificate is the wishes of the city or town where the dispensary would be located,” the resolution continues.
“The Town Council of the Town of Cumberland hereby formally expresses its opposition to the location of a medical marijuana compassion center in the Town of Cumberland.”
Mayor Daniel McKee said the resolution was introduced by Dwyer in response to concerns expressed to him by constituents. McKee said he supports the resolution as a way to make sure medical marijuana “is not an issue before it becomes an issue.”
He said the town does not want to be in the same position it found itself in a few years ago, when officials learned that the state had licensed a methadone clinic that was looking at a site in town.
Cumberland is now the third community of late to publicly oppose medical marijuana dispensaries. In recent weeks, the Woonsocket City Council and the Coventry Town Council have both passed similar resolutions.
Unlike Woonsocket and Coventry, where medical marijuana clinics have already been proposed, Cumberland's resolution is a purely preemptive effort to dissuade potential marijuana purveyors from eyeballing the town, officials say.
In Woonsocket, at any rate, the council's resolution has done little to encourage the applicants from looking elsewhere to set up shop. On the contrary, Jerome Smith, a former lawmaker and retired chief clerk of the District Court, and longtime Woonsocket educator Dennis Gentili, say they intend to redouble their efforts to set the record straight on their proposal — and forge on.
They told The Call Tuesday they intend to distribute copies of their application to every member of the City Council and Mayor Leo T. Fontaine. They said they hope the document will clear up misinformation about the proposal and give councilors a factual basis for future discussions. Gentili and Smith say they will attend the next meeting of the City Council to answer questions..
The proposed Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Dispensary would be located in Park Square, with a separate grow house for cultivating plants in a former social club off Diamond Hill Road.
The General Assembly legalized medical marijuana in 2006 for patients suffering from AIDS, hepatitis, cancer and other debilitating conditions. Lawmakers modified the law last year to allow DOH to license up to three distribution sites in order to make it easier for qualified patients to get the drug.
Rhode Island is one of 14 states that have already legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for medical use, but among those far fewer also allow storefront-style medical marijuana sales, including Colorado and California.
In addition to Woonsocket and Coventry, DOH is considering applicants for distribution sites in Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston, Warwick and Portsmouth. So far, however, the only community that appears to have spread out the welcome mat for a distribution center is Johnston — where none has been proposed.
The Johnston Town Council passed on ordinance last week establishing rules for permitting medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as facilities for cultivating marijuana plants. The ordinance allows compassion centers to apply to the Zoning Board of Review for a special-use permit, but prohibits such facilities from operating within 1,000 feet of a residential zoning district or within 1,500 feet from a school, ball field, church or hospital.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Woonsocket Call - Home
Author: JOSEPH FITZGERALD
Contact: Woonsocket Call - Home
Copyright: 2010 Woonsocket Call
Website:Woonsocket Call - Cumberland says 'no' to marijuana center
