MEDICAL MARIJUANA TASK FORCE TAKING AIM AT GROW OPERATIONS

ANACONDA - Recommendations ultimately reached by Anaconda's medical
marijuana task force will apply only to care-giving, while its members
have decided not to allow dispensaries within the county.

The task force met for the fourth time this week, already settled on
some preliminary boundaries for distributing and zoning medical
marijuana.

Planning consultant and task force adviser Bob Horne told The Montana
Standard the task force is steering clear of regulating storefronts,
at least until the Legislature is able to provide more guidance in the
2004 state law.

The Legislature convenes on Jan. 3, 2011.

County commissioner and task force chairman Pete Lorello said the task
force actions still need to be put to a final vote, though members
thought dispensaries would not fit with the community's personal
needs.

"We just need to wait and see what the state does," Lorello said.

Regulatory measures will also avoid direct aim at registered patients
and their rights, instead focusing on care-giver operations.

State law defines a care-giver as someone over the age of 18 legally
allowed to grow and cultivate marijuana for patients' medical use. A
caregiver is allowed six plants per patient.

Care-giving will not be allowed in any residential development
districts, essentially banning growing and cultivation as a home
occupation. The task force saw too many public safety and fire issues,
Lorello said.

"I don't know how many neighbors would say they want a care-giving
operation in their neighborhood, anyway," he said.

Care-giving would, however, be allowed in rural development districts,
such as Georgetown Lake and Opportunity, as a "change in land" use and
subject to a major development permit.

The county will use the existing permitting and inspection systems for
medical marijuana care-giving through the Montana Department of Labor
and Industry.

Horne said he is confident the task force will come away with a
package of recommendations before urgency Ordinance No. 13 expires on
Nov. 18. The ordinance places a six-month ban on all medical marijuana
shops and care-giving.

A public outreach campaign will accompany the final recommendations,
he said.

The task force will meet again at 3 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Community
Service Center. A public comment session is included at each work
session.

The fifth meeting is where elements of the plan will really start
coming together, Lorello said.

"We should have enough to get the ball rolling," he said.