Planning commission hosts informal meeting on cannabis zone classifications

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

In April of this year, due to Governor Andy Beshear’s signage of Kentucky Senate Bill 47, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025, the Cave City City council members voted to “opt in” allowing medical cannabis businesses to locate within the limits of Cave City.

As a result of their decision the zoning ordinance of Cave City needed to be updated to define and designate which zones such businesses can locate, and it was with this goal in mind that Kevin Myatt, planning director of the Joint City-County Planning Commission, came to city hall to showcase their preliminary designations.

He held a similar meeting in the Glasgow City Hall chambers on Aug. 5 though it was not as well attended as this meeting, which featured all the Cave City council members — something absent from the Glasgow meeting — the Cave City mayor, members of the police department, a few members of the public and Barren County Magistrate Ronnie Stinson.

According to the information presented at the meeting by Myatt, processors and producers — which won’t be available as a license until next year — will be allowed in light industrial, heavy industrial and general business districts with cultivators being allowed in those three districts and agricultural districts as well.

The other two business types — safety compliance facilities and dispensaries — will be allowed in general and highway service business districts with a conditional use in Cave City’s downtown area, which means that such businesses seeking location approval would need to go before the local board of adjustments.

A large portion of the informal meeting was dedicated to answering questions regarding the medical cannabis business regulations and its enforcement.

“This is an informal kind of meeting so we can decide on things, and make suggestions and edits before it’s presented at the public hearing,”  Myatt said. “The [zoning ordinance] is not a stagnant thing; it can be revised when anyone requests it. Say we go a year and say ‘I don’t know how this is working out’ then e can revisit this.”

The public hearing where both the Glasgow and Cave City proposed text amendments will be at Glasgow City Hall on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.

Myatt also clarified at the meeting that just because the city opted in does not automatically mean one of the medical cannabis businesses will locate there. Rather it is up to the individual to enter the state “lottery” for these licenses and decide to locate in the municipality. To make matters even more complex the state limits the number of licenses — for example Barren County’s region which also includes eight other counties such as Warren, Logan and Metcalfe, will only be allotted four dispensary licenses.

The medical cannabis issue is complex with state regulations changing frequently. If you would like to read more about the regulations and laws peruse the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis website here.