Maine - The city of Bath has joined the growing number of Maine communities actively considering the potential impacts of a medical marijuana dispensary.
The City Council on Wednesday agreed to direct the Planning Board to hold a public hearing on medical marijuana dispensaries and where in the city one might be appropriate. The council did not take any steps toward placing a moratorium on dispensaries in the city, a step taken by nearby Topsham and some other Maine towns.
A Maine Department of Health and Human Services list of proposed dispensaries in Cumberland County indicates that one is proposed for Turner Street in Brunswick.
A statewide vote in November 2009 approved medical marijuana dispensaries, making Maine the fifth state to adopt a legal distribution system for the drug.
On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to license one such dispensary in each of the state's eight public health districts. Bath is part of a district that includes all of Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties.
Nearly 30 applications were submitted by hopeful dispensary operators late last month. Only two were submitted by applicants proposing a store in the district that includes Bath, according to state documents. One is a group based in Thomaston and the other application is linked to a man from Windham.
Giroux told the City Council at its Wednesday meeting that the city cannot ban the dispensaries outright. However, Giroux suggested that councilors may want to begin considering zoning language that would determine where in the city the operations would be most appropriate.
Councilor Kyle Rogers said looking at such zoning would be prudent, with fellow councilor James Omo admitting, "I can understand the potential concern of having one in the historic downtown area."
Councilor David Sinclair acknowledged the negative stigma that often accompanies the concept of marijuana distribution, but said the council should consider all sides of the issue before approving any zoning changes.
"(A marijuana dispensary) also might bring shoppers who don't normally come to Bath, and there may be businesses that want to be next to that," he said. "I want to make sure we hear what anybody might want to say about this."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Times Record
Author: Seth Koenig
Copyright: 2010 Times Record
The City Council on Wednesday agreed to direct the Planning Board to hold a public hearing on medical marijuana dispensaries and where in the city one might be appropriate. The council did not take any steps toward placing a moratorium on dispensaries in the city, a step taken by nearby Topsham and some other Maine towns.
A Maine Department of Health and Human Services list of proposed dispensaries in Cumberland County indicates that one is proposed for Turner Street in Brunswick.
A statewide vote in November 2009 approved medical marijuana dispensaries, making Maine the fifth state to adopt a legal distribution system for the drug.
On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to license one such dispensary in each of the state's eight public health districts. Bath is part of a district that includes all of Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties.
Nearly 30 applications were submitted by hopeful dispensary operators late last month. Only two were submitted by applicants proposing a store in the district that includes Bath, according to state documents. One is a group based in Thomaston and the other application is linked to a man from Windham.
Giroux told the City Council at its Wednesday meeting that the city cannot ban the dispensaries outright. However, Giroux suggested that councilors may want to begin considering zoning language that would determine where in the city the operations would be most appropriate.
Councilor Kyle Rogers said looking at such zoning would be prudent, with fellow councilor James Omo admitting, "I can understand the potential concern of having one in the historic downtown area."
Councilor David Sinclair acknowledged the negative stigma that often accompanies the concept of marijuana distribution, but said the council should consider all sides of the issue before approving any zoning changes.
"(A marijuana dispensary) also might bring shoppers who don't normally come to Bath, and there may be businesses that want to be next to that," he said. "I want to make sure we hear what anybody might want to say about this."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Times Record
Author: Seth Koenig
Copyright: 2010 Times Record
