By Jason Stuart
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
The City of Glendive is beginning the process of determining a policy for where medical marijuana shops would be allowed to set up shop in town.
Following the November voter approval of a state ballot measure which put the state’s medical marijuana industry back on solid footing, Mayor Jerry Jimison told members of the city’s Ordinance Committee on Monday that it would behoove the city to come up with a policy determining where medical marijuana providers could do business in town in the event one were to want to open here.
“It’s not too early for the city council to start preparing for this,” Jimison said.
Jimison noted to committee members that when the state first passed its medical marijuana law back in 2004, there were “two or three” Billings-based medical marijuana providers who had explored opening a shop in Glendive. At the time, he said the council passed a resolution putting a six month moratorium on allowing any medical marijuana provider to open in town.
Of course, no providers ever did come to Glendive and the six month moratorium has long since run out, but in the wake of the November vote, Jimison said the council would be best served by getting out in front of the issue and setting an official policy for where they could locate.
“Now that they may be expanding and putting up storefronts again, you may want to be proactive about where they locate,” he said.
City Director of Operations Kevin Dorwart added that the way the city can control where medical marijuana providers could set up business is through zoning ordinances. That being said, Dorwart stressed that the city cannot throw up moratoriums against medical marijuana providers ever opening in Glendive, but can only control where they go.
“You have to allow it because it’s legal, but you can control where you put it,” Dorwart said.
Dorwart added that he would bring the issue to the city’s contracted planner, Forrest Sanderson, for his input to help decide where the city would zone for medical marijuana providers. The committee agreed that they would pursue development of an official policy for the city based on Sanderson’s recommendations.
Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.