As many municipalities around the region have already passed legislation regarding medical marijuana in their cities, Newport has been meticulous in its process.
The Newport Board of Commissioners held the first reading of an ordinance regarding medical marijuana in August 2024; however, now that time has passed and a new board member has joined, they deemed that legislation stale.
There is also a difference of opinion on the matter among board members.
“We understand that there are some opportunities in maybe tailoring some language so we don’t have any legislation at this point, and we’re continuing to do research, and the question that I posed to the board for discussion is, ‘Are we going to advance this through the legislation phase, or is this going to die?’” said Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr.
Ultimately, the board voted at its Feb. 24 meeting 3-2 to advance the topic to the legislative phase. That phase involves what the zoning map would look like, how many affected areas there are and public input.
In June 2024, the county voted to opt out of allowing cannabis business operations in the county. That means individual cities are responsible for creating the zoning regulations to make way or not allow those types of businesses to operate. Cities fall under the county prohibition if they choose to do nothing.
In November, all 10 NKY cities that placed medical cannabis on ballots passed the item. Further, every city in Kentucky that placed the item on their ballot voted yes.
“What I saw was in utilizing the state’s tool and 1,000 feet around each one of the schools and 1,000 feet around each one of the daycares, makes it very limited to where a potential business could locate,” Newport Commissioner Ken Rechtin said.
Rechtin was one of the commissioners who voted against moving the topic forward.
He asked if they could get the planning and zoning commission’s recommendation for some locations that they felt would be appropriate for medical cannabis operations. Guidugli said that would be included in their discussions when they vote on the legislation.
Newport Manager John Hayden said the state’s map does not accurately show where the businesses could be located in the city, but staff could provide one.
“Staff can certainly produce a map that we can not only circulate to the board of commissioners but circulate to the public as well,” Hayden said. “You will find that there are very little opportunities for this that exist out there.”
Newport Assistant City Manager Brian Steffen said this would be a two-part process. First, the planning commission would discuss the zoning, where the operations could be located, and what restrictions would be involved. Then, their recommendation would go to the city commission for a vote.
Newport Commissioner Julie Smith-Morrow was the other commissioner who voted not to move the discussion further.
“I’ve researched quite a bit. I’ve talked to a number of people, including physicians,” Smith-Morrow said. “I’m still very reluctant to want to go forward with this, not because of a moralistic approach at all, but because of the concern that the FDA trials have not been allowed, actually in this country.”
Smith-Morrow acknowledged she was in the minority with her opinion but urged the board to look at some things other cities have already implemented, including the fees and zoning regulations. She said the state has its requirements for how far they must be located from a school or daycare center, but some cities have added other guidelines, such as they may not be located within 1,000 feet of a park.
“I think if we want to do this, we should be really honest that the goal is really, I think what a lot of people want to get to is recreational,” she said.
Newport Commissioners Mike Radwanski, Aaron Sutherland, and the mayor voted to move forward with legislation.
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