McCandless designates area off McKnight Road to grow, process medical marijuana

McCandless council has created a designated place in the town where medical marijuana growing and processing facilities can operate.

In June, council approved regulations for marijuana businesses in the form of a “pending ordinance,” which means the rules took effect immediately after adoption.

The measure approved unanimously on Monday finalizes the law.

Without the pending ordinance, marijuana facilities would only have to meet the guidelines set by the state.

“The way it works, if we don’t make make a place for something it can go anyware,” said council President Kim Zachary. “We are trying to control where this could go.”

No applications have been filed with the town to set up a growing or processing facility, according to town officials.

The new law rezones property adjacent to Corporate Drive from a Commercial Residential District to an Industrial District that permits marijuana growing and processing operations.

The area is the vicinity of the McCandless Corporate Center near LA Fitness center.

Companies that engage in marijuana related academic clinical research will be permitted in the town’s Institutional Districts.

Medical marijuana dispensaries would be allowed to operate in areas zoned as Residential Commercial, Highway Commercial and Regional Shopping districts.

While municipalities cannot legally prohibit marijuana facilities, local officials can limit the businesses to specific zoning districts and set rules such as hours of operation and any number of conditions so long as they are not so restrictive that they prevent a business from being able to operate.

The guiding principal when enacting rules for marijuana-related businesses is that they must be treated the same as any other business with a similar use, such as a pharmacy, according to the town’s zoning administrator.