CITY ZONING COMMISSION PROPOSES LIMITS TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA
SALES

STERLING - The Sterling Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday
night voted unanimously to encourage the city council impose limits
on any medical marijuana dispensaries that might get licensed.

"This is just an effort requested by the council if the council
chooses to approve dispensaries, where would these go and what type
of regulations or their placement," city attorney Kelly Barlean said.

If the city council will approve medical marijuana in the city
remains a question. The planning and zoning commission's job was to
determine where, and under what conditions, a medical marijuana
dispensary would operate.

At the beginning of the meeting, commission chairman Roger Hosea and
Barlean confirmed there are two issues involved: growing and selling.

"When we're talking about growing, is it 10 plants or 10,000?" Hosea
asked.

Barlean said the growing of marijuana plants would have to be done
away from a dispensary. There is no zoning allowance for agricultural
purposes in the city of Sterling. Barlean did say the number of
plants would vary with the amount of business. He added that
dispensaries are not regulated like pharmacies. He said a recent
court ruling defines marijuana as an herbal supplement, not a drug,
and therefore it is taxable.

"That is part of the problem," Barlean said.

Hosea said he would prefer seeing dispensaries regulated under the
medical services zoning.

"I think it is reasonable to keep it to MS (medical services)," Hosea
said. "That allows it, but it restricts it considerably."

As zoned medical services, medical marijuana dispensaries would be
limited to specific areas of Sterling, mostly in south Sterling near
Sterling Regional MedCenter.

"I'm looking at this as we're allowing the opportunity for it, but
we're allowing the community to say 'we don't want it,'" Hosea said.

Public Works Director Jim Allen reminded the planning and zoning
commission that it is not their duty to determine if the city will
have medical marijuana dispensaries, but if it does, how and where.
The question of if the city will allow them will be decided by the
city council.

Commission member Linda Gebauer said she personally does not support
the medical marijuana dispensaries. She questioned how much of an
interest there is in medical use of marijuana in northeast Colorado.
She said a map was once publicized showing where people authorized
to have medical marijuana live in Colorado, and only one person was
in northeast Colorado; yet, there are reportedly three inquiries into
opening a facility in Sterling.

"I personally think it should be very, very restricted," Gebauer
said.

"And that is about as regulated as it can get," Hosea said in
reference to the proposed MS zoning.

In other business, the commission approved changing the wording of
zoning so that a sign is not required at mobile home parks. Owners
who choose to construct a sign must meet size and setback
requirements.

The commission also heard from Allen on "preliminary discussions" on
the Logan County Humane Society seeking a new location. One
suggestion, according to Allen, is on city-owned land near Highways 6
and 61.