Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Anne Arundel County Council members have come up with a compromise over the zoning of where medical marijuana can be grown and sold in the county.
Since medical marijuana was approved in Annapolis, counties around the state have been scrambling to properly zone areas for growing and selling. Anne Arundel County is the latest to tackle this issue, and one of the most important things is making sure facilities are nowhere near schools.
Anyone who follows politics knows it's hard to get Democrats and Republicans to agree on anything, but in Anne Arundel County, it took medical marijuana to bring both sides together when it comes to zoning dispensaries and growing facilities.
It all started when Republican County Executive Steve Schuh called for an all-out ban in the county, which didn't sit well with the some County Council members.
Council Vice Chairman Pete Smith, a Democrat, said it's almost a no-brainer coming up with a compromise bill.
"We knew that we were going to deal with this issue at some point, but we weren't sure how much time we had to actually dedicate to it, so by the county executive introducing this ban, it certainly sort of lit the fire, if you will, on this particular subject," Smith said.
Smith worked closely with Republican Councilmen Derek Fink, John Grasso and Michael Peroutka, working off a similar bill already in place for methadone clinics.
"We were able to go to the county executive with a bipartisan solution to limit where it can go in the county, not an outright ban, not open up completely, but put a strict limit on where it can go," Fink said.
A statement released by the county executive and the members of the County Council who worked on the proposal said the plan would tightly regulate where facilities that grow, dispense and process medical marijuana would be permitted. Some of the provisions under the amendment to the county executive's proposed zoning legislation would include:
- Medical marijuana growing and processing facilities would not be permitted within of 1,000 feet of dwellings and schools.
- Medical marijuana dispensaries would not be permitted within 1,000 feet of dwellings and schools north of Route 50 and east of the South River.
- Special exception zoning, which requires a public hearing, will be required for facilities.
- Marijuana dispensaries will not be allowed in mixed-use zoned areas in the county.
- Marijuana dispensaries may not be located closer than 1 mile apart.
- Growing operations must be on at least 10 acres.
- Growing operations may not emanate light at night.
- Growing facilities must have on-site armed security.
- Processors must be co-located with growers.
- Window and counter displays of marijuana will not be allowed.
- On-site physician prescribing and dispensing will not be allowed.
"One of the most important pieces was I wanted community involvement, whether it's distribution or growing or processing. For me, I thought it was important to understand, for a community to know, if a facility was going to be in there," Smith said.
"We don't want to have a Richie Highway or Mountain Road loaded with different dispensaries throughout the communities, and we were able to accomplish that," Fink said.
Joe Scanlon, who has stage 4 cancer, said without medical marijuana, he probably wouldn't be around as it has helped him want food again.
"It makes me hungry, want to eat. Sometimes I would go without an appetite for five or six days," Scanlon said.
He's pleased to learn the County Council managed to come up with a compromise to make sure he'll have easy access to medical marijuana, and at the same time, not harm communities.
"We need it, but they're going to have to be monitored for wrong people (who) do the wrong thing. It's a good thing if it works," Scanlon said.
The amendments will be presented at the next County Council meeting on Monday. Council members said they expect there to be some tweaking, but they have the approval of the county executive.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: County Councilmen Compromise Over Medical Marijuana Limits
Author: Lowell Melser
Contact: Contact WBAL
Photo Credit: Reuters
Website: WBAL TV
Since medical marijuana was approved in Annapolis, counties around the state have been scrambling to properly zone areas for growing and selling. Anne Arundel County is the latest to tackle this issue, and one of the most important things is making sure facilities are nowhere near schools.
Anyone who follows politics knows it's hard to get Democrats and Republicans to agree on anything, but in Anne Arundel County, it took medical marijuana to bring both sides together when it comes to zoning dispensaries and growing facilities.
It all started when Republican County Executive Steve Schuh called for an all-out ban in the county, which didn't sit well with the some County Council members.
Council Vice Chairman Pete Smith, a Democrat, said it's almost a no-brainer coming up with a compromise bill.
"We knew that we were going to deal with this issue at some point, but we weren't sure how much time we had to actually dedicate to it, so by the county executive introducing this ban, it certainly sort of lit the fire, if you will, on this particular subject," Smith said.
Smith worked closely with Republican Councilmen Derek Fink, John Grasso and Michael Peroutka, working off a similar bill already in place for methadone clinics.
"We were able to go to the county executive with a bipartisan solution to limit where it can go in the county, not an outright ban, not open up completely, but put a strict limit on where it can go," Fink said.
A statement released by the county executive and the members of the County Council who worked on the proposal said the plan would tightly regulate where facilities that grow, dispense and process medical marijuana would be permitted. Some of the provisions under the amendment to the county executive's proposed zoning legislation would include:
- Medical marijuana growing and processing facilities would not be permitted within of 1,000 feet of dwellings and schools.
- Medical marijuana dispensaries would not be permitted within 1,000 feet of dwellings and schools north of Route 50 and east of the South River.
- Special exception zoning, which requires a public hearing, will be required for facilities.
- Marijuana dispensaries will not be allowed in mixed-use zoned areas in the county.
- Marijuana dispensaries may not be located closer than 1 mile apart.
- Growing operations must be on at least 10 acres.
- Growing operations may not emanate light at night.
- Growing facilities must have on-site armed security.
- Processors must be co-located with growers.
- Window and counter displays of marijuana will not be allowed.
- On-site physician prescribing and dispensing will not be allowed.
"One of the most important pieces was I wanted community involvement, whether it's distribution or growing or processing. For me, I thought it was important to understand, for a community to know, if a facility was going to be in there," Smith said.
"We don't want to have a Richie Highway or Mountain Road loaded with different dispensaries throughout the communities, and we were able to accomplish that," Fink said.
Joe Scanlon, who has stage 4 cancer, said without medical marijuana, he probably wouldn't be around as it has helped him want food again.
"It makes me hungry, want to eat. Sometimes I would go without an appetite for five or six days," Scanlon said.
He's pleased to learn the County Council managed to come up with a compromise to make sure he'll have easy access to medical marijuana, and at the same time, not harm communities.
"We need it, but they're going to have to be monitored for wrong people (who) do the wrong thing. It's a good thing if it works," Scanlon said.
The amendments will be presented at the next County Council meeting on Monday. Council members said they expect there to be some tweaking, but they have the approval of the county executive.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: County Councilmen Compromise Over Medical Marijuana Limits
Author: Lowell Melser
Contact: Contact WBAL
Photo Credit: Reuters
Website: WBAL TV
