Log in

City Council votes to extend medical cannabis moratorium

Posted

Second Reading scheduled for June 21st

The Apopka City Council voted 4-1 yesterday on first reading to extend current medical marijuana ordinance until August 30th, 2017. Mayor Joe Kilsheimer, Commissioners Doug Bankson, Billie Dean, and Diane Velazquez voted in favor of the extension. Commissioner Kyle Becker voted against.

According to the information packet for the June 7th City Council meeting, the moratorium does not affect the cultivation or process of cannabis. Ordinance 2569 proposes to extend the moratorium on the dispensing of medical marijuana. City Council’s adoption of the current medical marijuana ordinance (Ord. No. 2388) occurred in reaction to Florida government enacting the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014, which became effective on January 1, 2015.

On May 23rd, the Planning Commission, at its special meeting, voted unanimously to recommend approval of Ordinance No. 2569. The second reading is scheduled for the June 21st City Council meeting.

Voted 3-2 in favor of moratorium in November

On November 16th, 2016 the Apopka City Council voted 3-2 to enact a six-month moratorium on dispensing medical marijuana, which lasted through May 31st . Commissioners Doug Bankson, Billie Dean and Diane Velazquez voted in favor of the moratorium, while Mayor Joe Kilsheimer and Commissioner Kyle Becker voted against the measure. The first reading of this ordinance won by a 5-0 vote at the previous City Council meeting on November 2nd, and on November 8th Florida voters approved Amendment 2 (the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative) with 71% of the vote.

During that meeting, eight public speakers primarily with ties to the Apopka growing industry expressed their opposition to the moratorium, explaining it would hurt their ability to secure investor and slow down the progress they have already made. Specifically they believe their properties and industry is a perfect fit for growing and dispensing medical cannabis.

"I've been here for 58 years," said Bill Dewar, President of Dewar Nurseries. "Dewars payroll is $10-million per year. We spend $5-million on purchases to businesses in the city. Horticulture is a perfect fit for medical cannabis."

"I'm sure I'm prejudiced for this," said Fred Turley of White Sands Nurseries. "But I've looked at the city maps and the areas and what's there and I believe it's a perfectly suited area for this purpose."

But Apopka Police Chief Michael McKinley wanted the six-month moratorium to re-evaluate if the locations are still the most suitable places for the City of Apopka.

"I thoroughly understand everybody's concerns and not to impede anybody's business, but the city has changed in the year-and-a-half since that ordinance has been enacted. If you look at the designated growing area, it's surrounded by sub-divisions now. If you look at a little bit of history from Colorado which first started with marijuana, the task force there studied the effect marijuana had on Colorado, and from 2006-2011 drivers who tested positive for marijuana involved in traffic fatalities increased 114% in five years. Denver's Department of Safety reported there were 7,000 reported crimes within 1,000 feet of dispensaries in the first six months of 2012-13. I'm not trying to stop anyone from the growing and dispensing of marijuana and I certainly can sympathize with those that need medical marijuana. I just think currently that the city is looking at the development code and the direction the city is going, and we need to look at whether the dispensary locations are still appropriate."

Apopka City Council, Medical Marijuana, Moratorium

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here