Pubdate: Fri, 20 Jan 2012
Source: Washington Afro American, The (DC)
Contact: https://www.afro.com/contact-us.htm
Copyright: 2012 AFRO
Website: https://www.afro.com/sections/news/washington/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5318

LIMITS SET FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA CULTIVATION IN D.C.

The D.C. Council has approved emergency legislation that would limit 
the number of medical marijuana cultivation centers to six to be 
located in any of the city's eight wards, The Washington Post reported Jan. 17.

The council had been under pressure from residents in Ward 5, in the 
city's northeast quadrant, amid concerns that the ward would be 
overwhelmed by large, indoor pot-growing operations.

Under the city's medical marijuana law, 10 cultivation centers would 
be open citywide, The Post reported. Because the council voted 
unanimously in 2010 to establish the centers to allow chronically ill 
patients to obtain the drug without legal penalty, residents have 
become increasingly concerned about issues of traffic and crime in 
the neighborhoods where the medical marijuana would be dispensed.

According to a council memo, there have been 28 applications "to 
create and manage"  medical marijuana cultivation centers, The Post 
reported. Of those, 26 were for locations in Ward 5. Seven 
cultivation centers have received favorable reviews from the 
Department of Health. Six of the seven are in Ward 5.

Under the city law, medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation 
centers would be required to be at least 300 feet from schools or 
recreation centers. Further, cultivation centers are restricted to 
areas zoned for light industrial activities. Ward 5 has a history of 
light manufacturing enterprises.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom