[420 Girl]

Next week the Cascade Town Council will consider a proposal to ban medical marijuana businesses within the town limits.

Town Clerk Jodie Campbell said the council is scheduled to take up the proposal on first reading during its meeting at 5 p.m. May 27 in Town Hall, 9 N. Front St. in Cascade.

Campbell said the town already has one medical marijuana business, but added that under the ordinance an existing business would not be allowed to continue under a concept of being "grandfathered" in. The town previously issued a business license to Electric City Caregivers, she said.

"The town can revoke it for any reason," she said.

If a ban passes on first reading next week, another vote by the Town Council could take place at a meeting at 5 p.m. June 28, she said.

Cascade town officials are not the only ones wrestling with the issue of medical marijuana.

The city of Great Falls has scheduled a second-reading vote for its 7 p.m. June 1 meeting at the Civic Center on two medical marijuana options. One option is to extend a moratorium on medical marijuana businesses in Great Falls through February 2011. The other option is a citywide ban on medical marijuana businesses.

In municipal government, a positive vote on first reading advances an issue to a second reading, where a public hearing and a final vote typically take place.

City councils in Kalispell and Billings took action on regulating medical marijuana businesses earlier this month. The Kalispell City Council on second reading formally approved a ban on new marijuana businesses in the city, and on growing marijuana within city limits.

Meanwhile, the Billings City Council voted 8-2 to impose a six-month moratorium on new medical marijuana businesses in the Magic City, although the city previously approved licenses for nearly 90 medical marijuana establishments.

Great Falls has yet to issue any licenses or certificates to medical marijuana businesses.

Montana voters approved medical marijuana in 2004 for people who are sick or in pain, but the number of people selling and buying medical marijuana has soared in the last few years.

A number of Great Falls officials have called for the Montana Legislature to reform the state medical marijuana program and tighten restrictions on who can obtain medical marijuana cards. Some residents and officials say a good share of people obtaining marijuana cards are using it recreationally rather than to control pain or reduce the side effects of cancer treatments.

Medical marijuana supporters say the drug is less harmful than many prescription drugs, and add that any medication can be abused.



News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE
Source: greatfallstribune.com
Author: Richard Ecke
Contact: recke@greatfallstribune.com
Copyright: 2010 Great Falls Tribune
Website: Town of Cascade mulls medical marijuana ban | greatfallstribune.com | Great Falls Tribune


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