Two public hearings have been scheduled on whether Sumter County should amend its ordinance on medical marijuana due to legal changes by the state.
A hearing on July 25 at Colony Cottage Recreation Center is one of 11 Sumter County Board public hearings scheduled that day. A second public hearing is slated for Aug. 8 at the Sumter County Courthouse in Bushnell.
Medical marijuana was approved by Florida voters in a referendum last fall. Since then, state and local governmental units have been working to set up rules for the dispensaries.
Karl Holley, the county’s development services director, said the county’s medical marijuana ordinance now conflicts with state law due to recent legislation. He said the choices are either to ban any more medical marijuana dispensaries or to allow them wherever pharmacies can be located except within 500 feet of a school.
Two dispensaries have been approved in Sumter County. Holley said one dispensary will be located in a strip mall along U.S. 441 about 1,000 feet south of the Marion County line. The operator of a second dispensary has not verified a location.
Commissioners were split Tuesday on the county’s options.
Commissioner Garry Breeden said the county should ban all dispensaries except for the two already approved.
Board chairman Doug Gilpin accused legislators of bending to the politics of next year’s governor’s election in the recent medical marijuana legislation.
“What was (passed) is not what the people of the state of Florida decided,” he said. “I just feel that the legislature has made this untenable. We have to do something that is reasonable and responsible.”
Without a ban, however, Gilpin said, a dispensary could choose a bad location.
Commissioner Al Butler said he does not favor a ban.
“We’ve got good legislation with rules in place,” he said. “Let the marketplace decide how many people support these businesses.”
Five other public hearings on July 25 deal with the county providing public safety radio services to the cities of Bushnell, Center Hill, Colman, Webster and Wildwood.
Another hearing is on an agreement for the county to provide floodplain management services to Coleman.
Hearings also will be held on the annual fire assessment rate for Sumter County and The Villages. Two hearings are scheduled on amendments to the county ordinance on taxation and business regulations to eliminate obsolete language.
