MACON CITY COUNCIL SET GUIDELINES FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

by BENJAMIN C NELSON

(MACON, MO) In November of 2018 Missourians overwhelmingly passed Constitutional Amendment 2 which pertained to Medical Marijuana. With the passage of the Constitutional Amendment those who receive a prescription for medical purposes will now be able to legally purchase medical marijuana in the Show-Me-State. Also with the passage, growers and distributors may also apply for a separate license to produce and distribute medical marijuana. The Amendment also places a tax of 4% on the sale of the medical product.

In compliance with the State of Missouri and the passage of Amendment 2, the Macon City Council in May passed guidelines regarding medical marijuana into the City's Ordinance Book. Any business that is regarding growth, testing, and product infusion of medical marijuana within the City Limits of Macon must have a set back of 300 ft. from school buildings, etc. They must also be established in the industrial park of the city. Any business that is regarding distribution (dispensaries) must have a 100 ft set back from any school building, etc. and must be established in the business district of the city.

Amendment 2 passed with 1,583,227 (65%) of Missourians voting yes while 899,613 (35%) voting no.

The official ballot language of Amendment 2 from November of 2018 was:

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

Allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and create regulations and licensing/certification procedures for marijuana and marijuana facilities; impose a 4 percent tax on the retail sale of marijuana; and use funds from these taxes for health and care services for military veterans by the Missouri Veterans Commission and to administer the program to license/certify and regulate marijuana and marijuana facilities? This proposal is estimated to generate annual taxes and fees of $18 million for state operating costs and veterans programs, and $6 million for local governments. Annual state operating costs are estimated to be $7 million."