By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The Joint City-County Planning Commission recommended the adoption of both Glasgow’s and Cave City’s text amendments that relate to the zoning and placement of medical cannabis businesses within those two municipalities.
Cave City officially “opted in,” and thereby allowing medical cannabis businesses to locate within the city’s borders, during the April 8 meeting of the city council. Similarly, the Glasgow Common Council “opted in” during the body’s June 25 meeting when the ordinance prohibiting medical cannabis businesses in Glasgow failed on second reading — as Kevin Myatt, director of the commission, explained if you take no action to “opt out” you are effectively opted in.
These two public hearings were the culmination of two informal meetings Myatt held in Glasgow on Aug. 5 and in Cave City on Aug. 6 that sought to solicit public comments and suggest edits to the text amendments that were now necessary by virtue of their opting in.
The proposed text amendment first defined all the necessary terms such as defining medical cannabis grower or dispensary — which, Myatt said, were defined using the state’s established definitions — and establishing which zoning classifications each business will be allowed in.
According to the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis, there are four different licenses that one can apply for. There are cultivators, processors, dispensaries, safety compliance facilities and the soon-to-be-available producers.
Even though producers, which is a combination of cultivator and processors, won’t be available until next year, Myatt wanted the amendments to include them so in the future a public hearing can be dispensed with.
According to the slide provided by Myatt and the amendment he displayed at the meeting, producers, processors and cultivators will be allowed in light and heavy industrial zoning as well as in highway service business districts. Cultivators will also be allowed in agriculturally zoned areas. The safety compliance facilities and dispensaries will be allowed in general business districts and highway service business districts with a conditional use within the office and professional district.
Cave City’s and Glasgow’s text amendment were virtually the same, Myatt said.
No member of the public spoke, though several attended the meeting. Both amendments were unanimously approved and will go before the respective city councils for approval.
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