The Bozeman City Commission takes their first vote on the city's medical marijuana ordinance Monday.
City staff released a final version of the ordinance this week. It includes restrictions such as no smoking in public places and a ban of new businesses within 1,000 feet of schools.
City Manager Chris Kukulski says he has not received feedback asking for an outright ban on selling marijuana, such as the one passed in Belgrade on Tuesday. Rather, he says the ordinance strives to allow the responsible use of the substance.
"I think we've done it right, I think we've taken our time," Kukulski said. We've had a number of community meetings, had a lot of input from various aspects of it and I don't think there's any surprises."
"I think the city's done a great job," said Head Caregiver and Owner of Greener Pastures, Mike Nelson. "I don't think they took a hard stance and tried to be reasonable about this and tried to integrate it into the community." Nelson's store is the only one in Bozeman currently within 1,000 feet of a school building, that being Wilson School.His business would affectively be grandfathered-in and exempt from the zoning restrictions of the ordinance.The Wilson building no longer holds students with the move of the Bridger Alternative Program to Bozeman High School. Though Superintendent Kirk Miller said Wilson still does hold G-E-D classes, he does not think Greener Pastures poses a problem for the school district. Nelson said the location of the business doesn't matter in terms of greater access to children.
"If there is, I'm breaking the law," Nelson said. "If they received it from us we'd be acting inappropriately, which we wouldn't."
Commissioners passed 6 month temporary restrictions on medical marijuana back in March. They consider the ordinance during their Monday public meeting at City Hall. The meeting starts at 5 PM, but an update by City Manager Kukulski on Bozeman's 2010-2011 Work Plan is expected to take an hour and a half.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: KBZK.com
Author: Dan Boyce
Copyright: 2010 KBZK.com
City staff released a final version of the ordinance this week. It includes restrictions such as no smoking in public places and a ban of new businesses within 1,000 feet of schools.
City Manager Chris Kukulski says he has not received feedback asking for an outright ban on selling marijuana, such as the one passed in Belgrade on Tuesday. Rather, he says the ordinance strives to allow the responsible use of the substance.
"I think we've done it right, I think we've taken our time," Kukulski said. We've had a number of community meetings, had a lot of input from various aspects of it and I don't think there's any surprises."
"I think the city's done a great job," said Head Caregiver and Owner of Greener Pastures, Mike Nelson. "I don't think they took a hard stance and tried to be reasonable about this and tried to integrate it into the community." Nelson's store is the only one in Bozeman currently within 1,000 feet of a school building, that being Wilson School.His business would affectively be grandfathered-in and exempt from the zoning restrictions of the ordinance.The Wilson building no longer holds students with the move of the Bridger Alternative Program to Bozeman High School. Though Superintendent Kirk Miller said Wilson still does hold G-E-D classes, he does not think Greener Pastures poses a problem for the school district. Nelson said the location of the business doesn't matter in terms of greater access to children.
"If there is, I'm breaking the law," Nelson said. "If they received it from us we'd be acting inappropriately, which we wouldn't."
Commissioners passed 6 month temporary restrictions on medical marijuana back in March. They consider the ordinance during their Monday public meeting at City Hall. The meeting starts at 5 PM, but an update by City Manager Kukulski on Bozeman's 2010-2011 Work Plan is expected to take an hour and a half.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: KBZK.com
Author: Dan Boyce
Copyright: 2010 KBZK.com
