FLORENCE, Ky — Florence residents will notice a new issue on their ballots this November — whether or not they will allow medical cannabis to be sold in the city.
City leaders passed a resolution unanimously during a special meeting on Monday, allowing residents to make the decision on medical cannabis facilities in the city.
During their discussion period, no objections were given by any of the city council members directly on whether or not medical cannabis dispensaries should be allowed.
A five-to-zero vote was called at the meeting after a brief discussion period with city council members.
“This would allow Florence residents to express their views on the issue,” city administrator Joshua Hunt said.
Florence has followed many other municipalities within the state of Kentucky.
Medical cannabis will be legal in the state effective Jan. 1, 2025. Each individual city is responsible for creating the zoning regulations to make way or not allow those types of businesses to operate. If cities do not have those regulations in place by June 30, the state can begin issuing licenses and if those businesses start operations, they will be grandfathered against any future regulation.
When medical cannabis becomes legal in January, cities and counties across Northern Kentucky have been mulling whether to allow these businesses to operate.
According to the Office of Medical Cannabis, they will be accepting applications for licenses between July 1 and Aug. 31.
Local governments have until Jan. 1 to take action on whether they want to allow businesses to operate in their cities and counties. But, if they want to allow enough time for residents to petition their decision and get it on the November ballot, Reddy said local governments need to act soon. The petition has to be certified by the county clerk by Aug. 13 to go on the November ballot.
If a county opts not to let businesses operate, but a city within that county opts in, the bill allows businesses to operate within that city’s jurisdictional boundaries.
While the current Kentucky legislation on the status of medical marijuana dispensaries states there will only be two in the Northern Kentucky area, councilmember Lesley Chambers believes it is important for the citizens to determine the accessibility of potential medication.
“The residents of our city should be able to access their medication without having to drive across three counties,” Chambers said.
While she was ultimately overruled, Chambers claimed she would’ve preferred to allow dispensaries outright in Florence in time for the first wave of license applicants. The lottery for applicants begins on July 1.
On a similar note, councilmember Mel Carroll was also in favor of citizens’ right to choose for themselves, especially due to Ohio’s decision to legalize marijuana recreationally.
“If you’re interested in recreational marijuana, it’s going to be readily available in the surrounding states,” Carroll said when discussing potential misuses of prescribed cannabis.
Those seeking to obtain cannabis in Kentucky will need to be 18 years or older and are required to have a prescription from a licensed medical provider, as well as obtain their prescription from a licensed dispensary.
Citizens looking to voice their thoughts are encouraged to contact their city council members and vote this November.
This story originally appeared on linknky.com.
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