The city of Cape Girardeau has a decision ahead of them, which could affect how potential businesses come to the city.
City Planner Ryan Shrimplin says staff in his department hope to gain direction from the City Council by their June 3rd meeting on the subject of so-called “buffer zones” for medical marijuana facilities. These zones would apply to both dispensaries and cultivators growing medical marijuana within the city.
Missouri’s Constitutional Amendment 2, approved by voters in November, legalized medical marijuana in the state.The Department of Health and Senior Services then set up buffer zone requirements that prohibit medical marijuana facilities from being located within 1,000 feet from schools, secondary schools or churches.
“Municipalities and other local governments have the ability to be less restrictive in that distance requirement,” says Shrimplin. “They can’t make it more restrictive, but they can make it less restrictive by reducing the minimum distance.”
Local governments have had to revise their ordinances, and they have to comply with state regulations while the City of Cape Girardeau also updates their zoning codes.
According to Shrimplin, this ability has caused local governments to revise their ordinances and update zoning codes, while complying with state regulations.
Shrimplin says along with these potential business owners, city council and staff are also working with parties such as Old Town Cape to determine if the thousand-foot distance should be reduced. “That seems to be kind of the main focus of the discussion right now is how this distance requirement would affect site availability in the central business district,” says Shrimplin.
Eventually, the city will provide a map marking sites and required distances.
Shrimplin says facilities must get a license through the state. They would also be subject to any local taxes on their type of business, which would not be specific to medical marijuana.
Shrimplin says this has -- and will be -- an ongoing process. “It’s been a lengthy discussion to this point, and we’ll continue to have more discussions on this issue as we work through developing the regulations and the applicable maps,” he says.
There has been no talk about any changes should recreational marijuana become legalized, and Shrimplin says the city would still have to decide on regulations in compliance with whatever the state law might be.
Shrimplin says he and his staff will prepare an ordinance for the Planning and Zoning Commission’s review on June 12th, where they will decide whether or not to recommend it to the city council.