Butte-Silver Bow leaders in southwest Montana said they have no immediate plans to limit medical marijuana caregivers in the area.
Officials with the consolidated city and county government said laws already on the books address many concerns, though other local governments in the state have been putting new regulations in place to deal with the rapid growth of the industry.
Nine caregivers have filed for business licenses in Butte-Silver Bow. Commissioner Mike Sheehy said patients through their choice of caregivers will eventually eliminate providers who aren't legitimate.
"They are going to have to supply a good product," Sheehy said. "The guys who don't will be gone and the patients will take their card to another shop. The best will survive and the other guys will go under. That's the bottom line with it."
Planning Director Jon Sesso said he recently denied a permit request in a residential area, and that decision hasn't been appealed to the zoning board.
County Attorney Eileen Joyce said Butte-Silver Bow is monitoring how other municipalities deal with medical marijuana.
"I think right now from our standpoint we are keeping an eye on what's happening in other communities and looking at what rules the (Montana) Department of Health and Human Services might implement," Joyce said.
Montana voters legalized medical marijuana by passing a ballot initiative in 2004, and the Obama administration announced in September it would not prosecute medical marijuana cases even though federal law lists marijuana as an illegal drug.
The number of registered medical marijuana patients in Montana since June 2009 has jumped from almost 3,000 to more than 12,000.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: KTVQ.com
Copyright: 2010 KTVQ.com
Officials with the consolidated city and county government said laws already on the books address many concerns, though other local governments in the state have been putting new regulations in place to deal with the rapid growth of the industry.
Nine caregivers have filed for business licenses in Butte-Silver Bow. Commissioner Mike Sheehy said patients through their choice of caregivers will eventually eliminate providers who aren't legitimate.
"They are going to have to supply a good product," Sheehy said. "The guys who don't will be gone and the patients will take their card to another shop. The best will survive and the other guys will go under. That's the bottom line with it."
Planning Director Jon Sesso said he recently denied a permit request in a residential area, and that decision hasn't been appealed to the zoning board.
County Attorney Eileen Joyce said Butte-Silver Bow is monitoring how other municipalities deal with medical marijuana.
"I think right now from our standpoint we are keeping an eye on what's happening in other communities and looking at what rules the (Montana) Department of Health and Human Services might implement," Joyce said.
Montana voters legalized medical marijuana by passing a ballot initiative in 2004, and the Obama administration announced in September it would not prosecute medical marijuana cases even though federal law lists marijuana as an illegal drug.
The number of registered medical marijuana patients in Montana since June 2009 has jumped from almost 3,000 to more than 12,000.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: KTVQ.com
Copyright: 2010 KTVQ.com
