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Medical marijuana dispensaries now officially allowed in Green Cove Springs

Medical marijuana treatment centers or dispensaries are now allowed to legally operate within Green Cove Springs city limits – two years after more than 70 percent of its citizens voted in favor of it.

“I think if people need it then having a dispensary is a good idea,” said Georgia Henshall.

The moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries expired Tuesday so city leaders passed an official ordinance that includes defining medical marijuana as being “drug and drug sales.”

“They would be allowed wherever we have commercial categories which would allow drug and drug sales which is what state statute requires,” said Janis Fleet, development services director for the city.

Essentially dispensaries would be allowed anywhere pharmacies are allowed.

The red and pink areas of this map show where they will be allowed, primarily down U.S. 17 and 16 with the exception of certain areas where there are schools.

“It’s very highly regulated in terms of the advertisement, the hours, the security that’s the state administrative code has it, so they would have to comply with all of those requirements in order to be in the city,” said Fleet.

Fleet said in preparation for the new ordinance staff attended training and toured other medical marijuana facilities nearby.

According to Fleet, so far they haven’t gotten inquiries from any companies wanting to open up in the city.