{"id":6118,"date":"2018-01-12T15:39:07","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T20:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lcpllutzlivetotell.org\/?p=6118"},"modified":"2019-08-08T12:49:46","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T16:49:46","slug":"cities-put-limits-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-south-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/?p=6118","title":{"rendered":"More cities put limits on medical marijuana dispensaries in South Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"trb_ar_h\">\n<div class=\"trb_ar_hl\">\n<h1 class=\"trb_ar_hl_t\">More cities put limits on medical marijuana dispensaries in South Florida<\/h1>\n<p>By <span class=\"trb_ar_by_nm_au\" data-byline-withoutby=\"\"><a class=\"trb_ar_by_nm_au_a\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/sfl-anne-geggis-bio-staff.html#nt=byline\">Anne Geggis<\/a><\/span><a class=\"trb_ar_by_cl\" href=\"mailto:ageggis@tribune.com?subject=Regarding:%20%22More%20cities%20put%20limits%20on%20medical%20marijuana%20dispensaries%20in%20South%20Florida%22\" data-role=\"sc_sEmail\">Contact Reporter\u00a0<\/a><span class=\"trb_ar_by_nm_pb\">Sun Sentinel<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-6119\" src=\"http:\/\/lcpllutzlivetotell.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_2585-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_2585-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_2585-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_2585-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_2585-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_2585.jpg 1113w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>South Florida\u2019s budding business of medical marijuana keeps losing potential real estate, city by city, even though voters overwhelmingly indicated they are in favor of allowing it.<\/p>\n<p>As the number of cities banning them has grown in recent weeks, Broward County government is the latest considering whether to outlaw marijuana dispensaries or carve out some restrictions. It would affect the county\u2019s unincorporated areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"trb_ar_main\">\n<div class=\"trb_ar_la\">\n<aside class=\"trb_em \" data-content-embedlocation=\"Content level lead art\" data-content-id=\"94309486\" data-content-size=\"leadart\" data-content-type=\"video\" data-content-slug=\"sfl-medical-marijuana-what-to-expect-video-20170810\" data-content-subtype=\"premiumvideo\" data-role=\"sc_item mediamanager_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer \" data-state=\"\">\n<div class=\"trb_em_m\">\n<div class=\"trb_video_embeddedvideo\" data-role=\"mediamanager_item\" data-state=\"thumbnail mediamanager_player\" data-content-subtype=\"premiumvideo\" data-content-playtime=\"02:48\" data-content-contplay=\"\">\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t want it totally dumped on these unincorporated areas,\u201d County Commissioner Michael Udine said. \u201cIt\u2019s such a maze of regulation on both sides of this, it\u2019s very hard to see how these are going to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Among the cities to recently take action on the dispensaries:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pompano Beach, which banned the dispensing of marijuana within city limits Tuesday. Instead, it agreed to allow green bud to be grown only in an industrial district.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sunrise, which unanimously agreed Tuesday to keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of the city for at least another 180 days.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Margate, which banned the dispensaries Dec. 18 on a vote of 4-1.<\/p>\n<p>They join towns and cities, large and small: Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Royal Palm Beach, Sea Ranch Lakes and Southwest Ranches, where\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/news\/politics\/florida-medical-marijuana\/fl-pn-boca-marijuana-dispensary-ban-20171025-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">it\u2019s been banned<\/a>, or at least kept out for the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/local\/broward\/fl-coral-springs-marijuana-moratorium-20161118-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">time being<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"trb_ar_sponsoredmod\" data-adloader-networktype=\"yieldmo\" data-v-ymid=\"ym_1606467462023723332\" data-role=\"delayload_item\" data-withinviewport-options=\"bottomOffset=100\" data-load-method=\"trb.vendor.yieldmo.init\" data-load-type=\"method\">\n<div id=\"1606467462023723332\" class=\"ym ym_scroll\" data-id=\"ym_1\">\n<p>Florida\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/opinion\/letters\/fl-letter-voters-support-medical-marijuana-20171027-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">voters<\/a>\u00a0overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana for people with certain medical conditions in 2016, but the state rules adopted last year left cities with two options: Ban dispensaries outright, or regulate their locations to the same degree that pharmacies are regulated.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike pharmacies, though, federal rules don\u2019t allow medical marijuana, and that fact makes it a cash-only business, which is often considered a magnet for crime.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to the uncertainty,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/opinion\/fl-op-jeff-sessions-fight-against-marijuana-20180105-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sessions<\/a>\u00a0on Jan. 4 rescinded President Obama-era memos that had adopted a policy of non-interference with marijuana-friendly state laws. Now, instead of a hands-off approach to enforcing federal laws against marijuana, individual U.S. attorneys will decide if they want to prosecute operations that state laws have legalized.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess whether that\u2019s going to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Dispensaries have been slow to open in South Florida. Lake Worth has one. And\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/local\/miami-dade\/fl-fea-medical-marijuana-store-dadeland-20170926-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Miami<\/a>has two. Broward County doesn\u2019t have any.<\/p>\n<p>Scott Klenet, spokesman for Knox Medical, which\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/news\/politics\/florida-medical-marijuana\/fl-reg-pot-clinic-opening-20171113-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">operates the Lake Worth outlet<\/a>, said that his company delivers to Broward County residents and has Broward County residents visiting its Lake Worth store, however.<\/p>\n<p>He said that he expects a slew of dispensary openings in 2018 and some locations in Broward County could be among them. Unincorporated Palm Beach County also allows them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re looking around,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness said that even though people voted for it to be allowed, they didn\u2019t necessarily want a dispensary in their neighborhood. Rules to allow the dispensaries will be discussed at the commission\u2019s next meeting on Jan. 23, after gathering information from the surrounding cities.<\/p>\n<p>A dispensary \u201cmight be a first-class facility,\u201d Holness said.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s no escaping an unsavory image if any business were to be improperly run, he said. \u201cPeople are going to be saying, \u2018You get marijuana over here to buy,\u2019\u201d Holness added.<\/p>\n<p>When Deerfield Beach City Commission meets Tuesday, the city could go either way on the issue. One proposal calls for marijuana dispensaries to be banned and another plan would allow medical marijuana dispensing in certain sections of the city.<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Todd Drosky said the dispensaries present an unknown effect, which could inadvertently devalue the city\u2019s economic activity. He said he supports banning them \u2014 at least for now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the unknown this is going to bring to municipalities, it\u2019s more prudent to wait and see what happens, rather than dive into this headfirst,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Deerfield Beach Mayor Bill Ganz said he\u2019s certain his city will be able to regulate them enough. To keep out the small-time operators that could make the businesses appear unprofessional, he said regulations that could be added would play a big role.<\/p>\n<p>For example, he cited regulations adopted by Wellington on Jan. 8, which require dispensaries and pharmacies to be at least 10,000 square feet in size \u2014 the same as a typical, big-box pharmacy like CVS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of misinformation out there,\u201d Ganz said. \u201cIf people do their research, anyone who is expecting [dispensaries to be] Bob Marley posters and blue lights has an uneducated view of what these dispensaries are going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coconut Creek took its first steps toward outlining its provisions for the dispensaries on Thursday night, joining Deerfield, Hollywood and Wilton Manors. Coconut Creek Vice Mayor Josh Rydell said state law allows for deliveries within all Florida city limits, so there\u2019s no keeping it out, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s more forward-thinking to be in a capacity where you can outline [a dispensary\u2019s] type of facility, the security, the location and other requirements,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"trb_em\" data-content-size=\"large\" data-content-type=\"blurb\">\n<div id=\"trb_em_b_94374688\" class=\"trb_em_bl\" data-load-type=\"commentFrame\" data-frame-width=\"100%\" data-frame-height=\"100%\" data-frame-class=\"trb_em_b_if\" data-frame-scroll=\"no\">\u00a0Retrieved from: http:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/local\/broward\/fl-reg-dispensary-debate-has-cities-wary-20180111-story.html<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More cities put limits on medical marijuana dispensaries in South Florida By Anne GeggisContact Reporter\u00a0Sun Sentinel South Florida\u2019s budding business of medical marijuana keeps losing potential real estate, city by city, even though voters overwhelmingly indicated they are in favor of allowing it. As the number of cities banning them &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[617],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cannabis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}