LEWISTON SEEKS TO LIMIT SMALL MEDICAL POT SELLERS

LEWISTON - The city may not have a large medical marijuana distributor
setting up shop, but small providers are a big concern for city officials.

Planning and Code Enforcement Director Gil Arsenault briefed
councilors Tuesday on the latest draft of zoning and licensing rules
for medical marijuana distributors.

It would limit all distributors, including large, state-licensed
operations and small "primary caregivers," to industrial, commercial
business, office service and urban enterprise zones of the city.

"Those are the zones that allow warehouse-type operations," Arsenault
said.

The proposed rules would keep all distribution facilities from being
built near churches or child care facilities and would mandate
background checks for officers, board members and employees of the
distributors.

Voters approved the sale of medical marijuana in November 2009 but the
city has since had a moratorium in place. That moratorium is due to
expire in January.

Auburn Plaza, across the river on Center Street, will be home to one
of eight medical marijuana dispensaries approved by the Maine
Department of Health and Human Services. The dispensary, Remedy
Compassion, is tentatively set to open in mid-December.

The Auburn dispensary will be the only one serving the state's Zone 3,
including Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties. A Lewiston
dispensary is unlikely, unless state laws change or the Auburn center
closes, Arsenault said.

But state law allows smaller operations, called primary caregivers,
virtually anywhere. Those small operations are allowed to grow and
dispense medical marijuana for up to five patients with valid
prescriptions.

"It seems that this is the area where we need to be especially
careful," Arsenault told councilors. With less state oversight, there
are more opportunities for things to go wrong in the smaller operations.

Lewiston's rules would require those providing medical marijuana for
two to five patients to get city licenses and to meet certain fire
safety, building and code rules.

Councilors are scheduled to vote Nov. 23 on the new rules. Councilor
Larry Poulin said he wanted to be sure the city regulated odors from
the operation.

"I'm one of a number of people that find the smell offensive and I'd
like to see it called out specifically," Poulin said.