Medical marijuana rules are coming to Manatee

As uncertainty in Tallahassee with respect to medical marijuana continues, Manatee County officials are continuing to work on land-use regulations, which they must have in place by Oct. 31.

“It was our intent today to present a plan to move forward with this option, but the Legislature didn’t do anything on it,” John Barnott, the county’s building and development services director, told commissioners Tuesday.

Unless there is a special legislative session, the Florida Department of Health has until July 3 to come up with regulations. Manatee County can regulate how many of the medical marijuana dispensing facilities are allowed in the county and where they can be located, which are the two biggest issues, Barnott said.

“My understanding is state is enforcing all rules and regulations. All we can say is where they can be located and number,” he said.

In the meantime, the county commission will extend its 180-day moratorium on medical marijuana dispensing facilities in unincorporated Manatee County on June 1 by 90 days.

“There is no automatic stay because the state hasn’t done anything,” said Sarah Schenk, assistant county attorney. “We know we have land-use authority currently stated. If we don’t have our land-use regulations in place, they can open up in strip centers and we can’t say, ‘No.’”

Possible allowed land uses could be industrial, such as heavy commercial, light manufacturing and heavy manufacturing but not permitted in all planned developments, Schenk said.

“We don’t know all the impacts yet,” she said. “We are being conservative.”

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, called her Monday.

“He was fairly certain they were going to have a special session in June,” Baugh said.

Commission Chairwoman Betsy Benac said they will have to take action even if the state legislature doesn’t.

“If the Legislature doesn’t act, we are still going to go forward so we have our regulations in place,” she said. “If they don’t, we are going to have to look at this from a zoning perspective.”

Also on Tuesday, the commission:

• Heard a presentation about the county’s community paramedic program. With 59 active community paramedic patients, the county has served 145 total patients, according to Tuesday’s presentation. In the upcoming budget, the program will request funding for two additional positions: resource coordinator and another community paramedic. “We are growing faster than what we know what to do with,” said James Crutchfield, the county’s community paramedic chief.
• Heard a presentation about the county’s aging services program, which currently has a waiting list. There are 202 people on the waiting list for home delivered meals and 168 people on the waiting list for medical transportation. “Those are the biggest gaps we have in the county for seniors,” said Tracie Adams, the county’s human services program manager.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Medical marijuana rules are coming to Manatee."