Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
On the day when regulations will be adopted in Maryland's state law, County Executive Steve Schuh is seeking to ban growing, processing and dispensing medical marijuana in Anne Arundel County.
Schuh is poised to announce his plans to send such a measure to the County Council on Monday at the Arundel Center. The bill will be introduced at the council's Sept. 21 meeting.
The measure does not prohibit someone with a valid prescription from possessing medical marijuana.
Schuh, a Republican, had joined other local officials who have been considering how to apply Maryland's law ahead of applications to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana becoming available.
Lawmakers approved legalizing medical marijuana in 2013, but the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, has since eased restrictions on how to regulate the program.
Schuh met last month with dozens of officials from law enforcement, the school system, the Economic Development Corp., Office Of Law and the Health Department to discuss the matter.
The bill would prohibit cultivating and selling medical marijuana under the county's farming and pharmacy provisions, according to a draft of the bill provided by the administration. A state measure allows local jurisdictions to decide how to implement the medical marijuana law through planning and zoning codes, in which farms and pharmacies fall.
Under Anne Arundel County code, growing and processing medical marijuana is allowed under the county's farming provisions – or pretty much anywhere.
The bill Schuh is set to announce Monday would eliminate the processing and sale of marijuana on many levels, including removing marijuana from the county's farming provision and prohibiting the processing and sale of marijuana in commercial, industrial, maritime and residential districts.
As of Aug. 21, the Maryland Association of Counties indicated it had not heard of any counties interested in banning medical marijuana altogether but acknowledged counties were struggling with how to adopt the law locally.
The Baltimore County Council was among the first to take action on the state law by voting unanimously to set rules on where medical marijuana businesses can operate.
The first stage of the application period is expected to begin this month, according to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Program. It predicts medical marijuana could be available to patients starting in the second half of 2016.
As a state delegate, Schuh voted against allowing medical marijuana in Maryland. But his position as a legislator does not mean he can ignore the law, he has said.
"There are a lot of votes that I didn't support in the General Assembly that I now live with and enforce," Schuh said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: County Executive Trying To Single-Handedly Stop Medical Marijuana Progress
Author: Rema Rahman
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Capital Gazette
Schuh is poised to announce his plans to send such a measure to the County Council on Monday at the Arundel Center. The bill will be introduced at the council's Sept. 21 meeting.
The measure does not prohibit someone with a valid prescription from possessing medical marijuana.
Schuh, a Republican, had joined other local officials who have been considering how to apply Maryland's law ahead of applications to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana becoming available.
Lawmakers approved legalizing medical marijuana in 2013, but the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, has since eased restrictions on how to regulate the program.
Schuh met last month with dozens of officials from law enforcement, the school system, the Economic Development Corp., Office Of Law and the Health Department to discuss the matter.
The bill would prohibit cultivating and selling medical marijuana under the county's farming and pharmacy provisions, according to a draft of the bill provided by the administration. A state measure allows local jurisdictions to decide how to implement the medical marijuana law through planning and zoning codes, in which farms and pharmacies fall.
Under Anne Arundel County code, growing and processing medical marijuana is allowed under the county's farming provisions – or pretty much anywhere.
The bill Schuh is set to announce Monday would eliminate the processing and sale of marijuana on many levels, including removing marijuana from the county's farming provision and prohibiting the processing and sale of marijuana in commercial, industrial, maritime and residential districts.
As of Aug. 21, the Maryland Association of Counties indicated it had not heard of any counties interested in banning medical marijuana altogether but acknowledged counties were struggling with how to adopt the law locally.
The Baltimore County Council was among the first to take action on the state law by voting unanimously to set rules on where medical marijuana businesses can operate.
The first stage of the application period is expected to begin this month, according to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Program. It predicts medical marijuana could be available to patients starting in the second half of 2016.
As a state delegate, Schuh voted against allowing medical marijuana in Maryland. But his position as a legislator does not mean he can ignore the law, he has said.
"There are a lot of votes that I didn't support in the General Assembly that I now live with and enforce," Schuh said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: County Executive Trying To Single-Handedly Stop Medical Marijuana Progress
Author: Rema Rahman
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Capital Gazette
