CITY TO CONSIDER PERMANENT CAP ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES

The Bozeman City Commission tonight will consider permanently capping
the number of medical marijuana businesses in town at 20.

The commission will meet an hour earlier than usual, at 5
p.m.

City Attorney Greg Sullivan is recommending that commissioners
re-evaluate the city's marijuana ordinances as planned despite
uncertainty over what will happen with the industry.

Montana legislators this spring passed a strict overhaul of the
voter-approved law that initially allowed medical marijuana. The new
law, due to go into effect July 1, will ban commercial operations, but
a marijuana industry group is challenging it as unconstitutional.

The city has issued business license for 21 medical marijuana
storefronts, according to Sullivan.

Bozeman City Commissioners last year decided to cap the number of
licenses issued to storefronts at 20 for one year to see how it worked
out. There were 21 issued - one more than the cap - because the city
had agreed to consider any license applications submitted prior to the
rule.

City Manager Chris Kukulski said city commissioners should finish
setting city law and wait to see what happens at the state level.

In other business, the commission will consider amending several parts
of the city's Unified Development Ordinance, including zoning
provisions, site plan review processes and subdivision procedures.

The commission meets at City Hall, 121 N. Rouse Ave.

Meetings are televised live at Bresnan's channel 20 and streamed
online at www.bozeman.net.