SHCC to seek public input on medical marijuana dispensaries
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Safety Harbor City Commissioners agreed on Monday night to host a workshop in August to gather public input on whether they should allow medical marijuana dispensaries in town.
The decision came after City Attorney Alan Zimmet informed the commission that Florida Governor Rick Scott could soon sign a piece of legislation into law allowing the sale of full-strength medical marijuana in the next two weeks.
The move could pave the way for a flood of dispensary applications, according to Zimmet, although a citywide moratorium that was recently extended for an additional 180 days gives Safety Harbor officials extra time to put an ordinance regulating the establishments in place.
“This, to me, is a big decision, and I’d like to get some feedback from the public,” Commissioner Cliff Merz said when the topic was raised during the Commission Reports.
According to Zimmet, dispensaries are subject to the same zoning rules and regulations as pharmacies.
“Wherever a pharmacy can go, a dispensary can go,” he said, adding the dispensaries must have affiliations with growers in order to sell medical cannabis.
When Commissioner Scott Long asked if pharmacies could double as dispensaries, Zimmet said that was not an option.
Currently, pharmacies are treated as retail establishments according to the city code, but the commission would like to amend that as they establish an ordinance regarding dispensaries.
According to the guidelines of the medical marijuana bill, there are several regulations established for dispensaries, including hours of operation, location, security and signage.
“There are a series of regulations that the state has put on these facilities—signage, security, lighting, things of that nature,” Zimmet said. “Their signage that would be permitted for them is more restrictive than our sign code would be. So we would have to tweak our sign code.”
The commission toyed with the idea of banning dispensaries entirely, a move which Zimmet said would be legal, but ultimately decided to gather input and information before making a decision.
“My thought would be, we have a moratorium in place—I’m not opposed to the dispensaries, per se—but why not let the moratorium ride out and observe what other cities are doing, see what issues come up and take it up after that,” Mayor Joe Ayoub said.
“There’s very passionate people about this subject on both sides,” Commissioner Andy Zodrow said, adding he’d like to hear from the public.
Commissioner Carlos Diaz concurred, stating, “There’s pros and cons.”
The workshop is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Following the meeting, Mayor Ayoub spoke to Safety Harbor Connect about the subject.
“I think we have to proceed cautiously and see how it plays out,” Ayoub said, adding he’d “like to see if issues arise in other communities.”
When asked if he wanted to receive public feedback on the matter, the mayor was definitive.
“Of course,” he said. “We represent the citizens of Safety Harbor, and we would like to hear what they have to say on this issue.”
Harborites, what are your thoughts about allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in town? Let us know in the comments below, or visit our Safety Harbor Connect Facebook page.
Related content:
- SHCC agrees to extend pot dispensary moratorium additional 180 days
- Safety Harbor proposes temporary moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries
I believe this is a major error that Safety Harbor is making and will regret it for many years. Let the residences of Safety Harbor have the right to vote yes or no on this issues. If it is a no vote, I believe all those in favor of this terrible idea should submit their resignation because you truly don’t represent this community. It appears several of us have made a big mistake in the last election. Check out Colorado on how it’s working for them! Crime is up record heights. I never can understand how elected officials once in office go out of their way to destroy people’s lives.
Important thing to remember is that these processing plants have a marijuana and chemical odor that emanates about 2,000 feet in all directions. As well as loiterers looking to buy from the people having prescriptions. Worst thing is that 9th Avenue north is near our schools, community center, walkers, residences, restaurants, and the general downtown area that we are trying to develop. I certainly wouldn’t want to hear: “Safety Harbor? —- Oh, that’s the pot place, and can you believe they put it right downtown?”. It is a blight and joke on our downtown development, our real estate market, our city’s reputation as safe, with great schools, great kids/family programs, emphasis on community unity and pride, sporting events, parades and spirit. Marijuana is marijuana and putting it into a gift wrapped box called “medical” is the same drug. These centers should be put on acreage, lots of it in Plant City. Not in our downtown, and certainly the Planning/Zoning Board and our City Commission are free to just say NO. How can anyone support medical marijuana unless MDs random drug test their patients with prescriptions to ensure they actually use it instead of selling, and making do with Advil for themselves. As an RN I was involved with pain management programs, and countless patients getting these opiod prescriptions were selling it —-not discovered until their MD drug tested.
The first thought of many people is we need to keep the rift raft out and from hanging around Marijuana dispensaries. So what is it really like in other places where Marijuana is sold? When I visited Colorado I saw Marijuana dispensaries in almost every large and small town. These were public dispensaries and not restricted to just medical Marijuana. Some were next to clothing stores, gas stations, in strip malls – at a wide variety of places. Despite the fact that anyone over the age of 18 could purchase Marijuana, I never saw lines out the door, or people hanging around – they got what they needed and left. That said, the clientele for Medical Marijuana are people who are terminally ill, undergoing chemotherapy, have advanced stages arthritic diseases and many other severe medical maladies – and most are the elderly. If there is any hanging around we should be worried about, it’s those in walkers who are moving as fast as they are able and those in desperate need to make their last days on earth more bearable.
@ Gary, In Colorado buying recreational marijuana, the age is 21years. Medicinal is used on babies too. Medicinal cards have to be prescribed by a Medical Doctor, and dispensed at Pharmacies.
Recreational marijuana stores are mostly privately owned and hire armed security inside and out. Been in these stores. Before you get to the room to make your purchase you must show a valid drivers license and be 21 years old.
I am all for both in this town of Safety Harbor.
One thing we should remember is that distributing &/or selling Marijuana is still a Federal offense regardless of what state law says. If the city chooses to break federal law we are put at risk of some fairly serious penalties. I would recommend no more than two – one North of 580 & one south, away from residential & educational areas & subject to neighborhood feedback (approval?)