Some proposed medical marijuana dispensaries don't meet Orlando criteria

ORLANDO, Fla. — City officials are considering a new cannabis ordinance in Orlando, but Channel 9's Lauren Seabrook found out three of the approved locations for dispensaries don't meet the criteria.

Orlando City Council members met Monday to review a proposed ordinance that would cap the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city limits at seven.

There are currently seven licensed dispensing organizations in the state, so the cap would allow each organization to have one Orlando dispensary.

The city's municipal planning board recommended last April that the ordinance be approved. Now a new ordinance would force medical cannabis dispensaries to be built at least 200 feet from residential areas, and at least 1,000 feet away from schools, day cares, churches, parks, other dispensaries and addiction recovery treatment facilities.

Knox would be near Orlando Hypnosis Clinic, a treatment center for alcoholism and other addictions, which would violate the proposed new ordinance.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the state's failure to enact medical marijuana legislation affected the city's efforts.

"We were waiting on the state Legislature and they had bills that failed on the last day of session, and we may yet have to change our ordinance based on what the Legislature, or the agency, does in enacting rules," he said.

Longtime College Park resident, Hank Turner, was glad to see that a dispensary would be opening down the block from his house.

He saw it as a place for people, including his son, to get relief.

"Well, it doesn't worry me too much, because I have a son that would probably benefit by having medical marijuana available," Turner said. "He has severe back problems and knee problems."

Not all residents are thrilled by the idea.

"It concerns me a little that it is right in my neighborhood," Rita MacNaughton said.

, but MacNaughton said she still has concerns.

"We've seen a lot of the destruction that can happen from drug abuse," she said. "I would hope that the proper protections were in place."

Two of the other locations already approved by city leaders would not meet the expectations set in the proposed ordinance.

One location on Orange Blossom Trail is too close to a park, and the location on Edgewater Drive is too close to homes. However, if the ordinance is approved, the locations would be grandfathered in.

Voters in November approved an amendment that allows doctors to recommend full-strength medical marijuana, but it cannot be smoked.

Machines extract cannabis oil from the marijuana plant, and the oil is inhaled as a vapor, similar to an e-cigarette.

Hospitals with more than 100 beds would be exempted from the requirements of the ordinance.

Cox Media Group