The Mitchell City Council on Monday approved on first reading an emergency ordinance amending regulations on medical cannabis. City Attorney Justin Johnson told the council that the amendment contained cleanup language to try to make things fit better with the proposed rules that the state is scheduled to adopt next month.
Johnson says one change has to do with dispensaries. “We’d be removing language dealing with dispensaries that currently says that no cannabis dispensary may share a physical location with any other type of business or land-use type,” said Johnson. “And we’re really just moving that language down to the following section where we’re revising those to be more consistent with state regulations. The state will allow those types of businesses – the dispensaries, the cultivation, and the manufacturing – to share a physical location and co-locate at one site under certain circumstances.”
He says testing facilities will still need to be independent. Johnson says the amendment also states that dispensaries could not share space with non-cannabis businesses.
Other issues in the amendment included clarifying that an applicant would need to first apply with the city before applying with the state, that the information supplied to the city and state must be the same, stating that fees are due with the application and that they are non-refundable, and any changes made to the application during the process must be brought back to the city council for reconsideration.
The city will accept medical cannabis establishment applications as soon as the state rules are published. That’s expected to be as soon as October 4th.