The Albany City Council on Wednesday voted 4-3 against enacting a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries, deciding instead to consider two separate ordinances that would restrict where dispensaries could be located.

The council did a first reading of each of those zoning ordinances, but no second reading, meaning the matters are automatically carried forward two weeks. The council will have a work session April 21 and a regular meeting April 23; decisions can be reached at work sessions.

The first ordinance would require that any dispensary be at least 300 feet from any residential property, granting an exception if a dispensary wanted to set up shop in an industrial zone. That's the current geographic situation for Canna Kitchen, which converts cannabis into smokeless forms of medicine at 2300 Ferry St. S.W. The kitchen has been categorized as a dispensary by the new state law allowing them and requiring that they register with the Oregon Health Authority at an annual fee of $4,000.

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