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St. Johns County Wants Residents' Input On Medical Marijuana Shops, Treatment

hand lighting marijuana joint
Chuck Grimmett via Flickr

St. Johns County officials want to hear what residents think about potential medical marijuana regulations.

Time is of the essence to pass local rules, with several marijuana bills up for consideration in Tallahassee this legislative session.

Not only is the state Legislature considering a handful of marijuana bills, but voters last year passed a state constitutional amendment, Amendment 2, which will make the drug more widely available by October.

With all of that in mind, the St. Johns Board of County Commissioners is eager to set a local framework— if that’s what the people want.

They’re holding a medical marijuana workshop on Thursday, April 13, at the St. Johns County Permit Center at 4040 Lewis Speedway. Topics will include possible zoning and permitting regulations for medical marijuana retail stores and treatment.

County staff last month presented four possible options to the Board, ranging from do nothing and let the state sort out the rules to a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana licenses and permits. Draft rules will be crafted after the public gives input.

Read the entire staff report here.

For more information on the meeting, call 904-209-0805 or email Assistant County Attorney Paolo Soria at psoria@sjcfl.us.

Contact Jessica Palombo at 904-358-6315, jpalombo@wjct.org or on Twitter at @JessicaPubRadio.

Jessica Palombo supervises local news gathering and production, podcasts and web editorial content for WJCT News, ADAPT and Jacksonville Today. She is an award-winning writer and journalist with bylines including NPR, Experience Magazine, and The Gainesville Sun. She has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and is an alumna of the University of Florida. A nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville, she considers herself lucky to be raising her own children in her hometown. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JaxJessicaP