McComb selectmen expressed concerns last week about where medical marijuana could be dispensed in the city as officials debate the rules that will be put into an ordinance regulating the once-illicit product.
City board Attorney Marcus Williams has presented a draft ordinance on medical marijuana, but it has not come up for a vote.
Only one dispensary has been licensed in McComb, according to the Department of Revenue. LeafMed 3 LLC, owned by Todd Shaffett and Shaun Carpenter, has been approved to sell medical marijuana at 2301 Delaware Ave., McComb. The property is a vacant lot across from the former Rainbow Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep location west of Interstate 55.
Another operation, Delta Farmacy, owned by McComb attorney LeeAnn Slipher, has received a license to open at 1117 Highway 51 in Summit on the corner of Sid Nash Road, state records show.
City Administrator David Myers said at wednesday’s city board work session that he has received numerous inquiries about where medical marijuana dispensaries could be located.
“I’d be interested to know where a facility can go because we have so many daycares in this town spread out,” said Selectman Matt Codding. “There’s probably not too many places to put one.”
Codding asked about the effect of not having an ordinance.
“People still have to follow the statute,” Williams replied. “But it mostly is passing the ordinance because they want to collect fees, obviously, when a business is opening and they want to regulate how it happens in their town.”
State law passed this year lists 20 medical conditions and categories of conditions for which an individual would be eligible for a medical marijuana card in Mississippi, and medical marijuana sales are expected to soon begin in the state.
“Because it’s unfamiliar territory across time, we’ll definitely have to make some amendments to the ordinance, whether that’s to strengthen it or maybe to adjust some fees at some point,” Zoning Director Henry Green said.
Selectman Tommy McKenzie said the ordinance should require medical marijuana dispensaries to be at least 100 feet from residences.
“Where I’m getting to is where these dispensaries are, there’s a possibility consumption will happen there,” he said. “My point is, where do you want to see these dispensaries? That’s my point. I don’t want to see them next to residential neighborhoods.”
Selectwoman Tabitha Felder Isaac said medical marijuana dispensaries and liquor stores should have the same guidelines to be fair to everyone. She said restricting dispensaries in some areas would be unfair to other parts of the city.
“I represent the whole city and I’m not just going to leave out one part of the city and just let everything go to one side of the city,” she said. “Like I said, we’re going to be fair now while I’m here. We’re going to be fair about a lot of things.”
McKenzie attempted to clarify.
“I’m not trying to exclude any part of the city with what I’m talking about,” he said. “This would apply to Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. You could put them anywhere.”
“When you say 100 feet, that’s not being fair,” Isaac replied. “It’s not being fair to Summit Street. It’s not. We have businesses on Summit Street, too.”
“That’s not what I meant. That’s not what I’m not talking about, McKenzie said, adding that he was proposing the same restrictions in all wards.
The city board’s agenda for tonight’s meeting shows no vote for the medical marijuana ordinance.
