GILBERT, AZ — Gilbert is set to discuss marijuana posing a 'threat to the health, safety, and security of the community' at a council meeting next week.
The agenda indicates that the council will discuss an ordinance that would be put in place if Prop 207 passes in November.
The ordinance reads, “The Town finds that proposition 207 authorizes marijuana establishments and testing facilities to use chemical extraction or chemical synthesis, including butane and other flammable gases, to extract marijuana concentrate, which poses a threat to the health, safety, and security of the community and increases the responsibilities of law enforcement and other Town departments to respond to violations of state and local laws, including building, electrical, plumbing and fire codes.”
If the proposition passes, medical marijuana dispensaries will be the first in the state to start selling cannabis to those over the age of 21, until the state's health department decides how many licenses they plan to distribute, and who could apply for those licenses.
The Town of Gilbert responded to ABC15 by email saying in a statement, “In anticipation of the proposed Proposition 207, Gilbert has worked with other Arizona cities and the Arizona League of Cities and Towns to prepare the model ordinance. Gilbert used this model ordinance, which will be going to Council on October 13th.
By taking action now we are protecting Gilbert’s ability to respond to the changes that could come if the proposition is approved by the voters. This ordinance, if put into place, would only apply to future marijuana retail and testing facilities and our existing medical marijuana dispensary will not be impacted.”
The ordinance states marijuana would be prohibited on public property, “it is unlawful for an individual to smoke in a public place in the town,” the documents read.
Documents also show that marijuana testing facilities would be prohibited, “to the fullest extent allowable by law, the operation of a marijuana testing facility is prohibited in the Town.”
READ FULL ORDINANCE HERE:
