The State of Connecticut’s decision in May 2012 to legalize marijuana for medical purposes has left the Town of Stratford with a quandary on its hands.
No zoning regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries currently exist in Stratford. The five-person Zoning Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 28 to adopt a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana facilities, a move other towns in Fairfield County have also made. The moratorium will end on Feb. 5, 2015. Between now and then, according to Planning and Zoning Administrator Gary Lorentson, the town plans to create zoning regulations to govern medical marijuana dispensaries in Stratford.
The Zoning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on a proposed slate of medical marijuana regulations for its meeting on Aug. 26. Interested members of the public are invited to attend the meeting and share their opinions on the regulations with the commissioners.
Though medical marijuana is a prescription drug, available only to those with a doctor’s order, it will likely not be available for purchase at drugstores like CVS or Walgreen’s. Rather, patients would only be able to purchase it at dispensaries.
According to Lorentson, the draft regulations would allow the Zoning Commission to approve or deny applying dispensaries based upon how well the dispensary fits into the atmosphere and look of a neighborhood. This method is similar to the town’s regulations concerning liquor stores.
Strict distance requirements from schools and other community centers are unlikely to be present in the final regulations, Lorentson said, as similar requirements had caused “many problems” in the process of approving liquor stores. According to Planning Commission minutes, the proposed regulations “leave the Zoning Commission with a lot of discretion as to the location of a facility.”
The Planning Commission has also suggested that no on-site consumption of marijuana be allowed, and that growing facilities only be located in industrial zones.
Some towns in Connecticut, including Shelton and Monroe, have prohibited medical marijuana, according to Lorentson. He is confident that Stratford will not take this approach, and that regulations will be drafted and approved by the time that the moratorium expires next February.
Medical marijuana is a complicated issue in the United States. The State of Connecticut has decriminalized possession of less than a half of an ounce of marijuana, meaning that an offense that was once a misdemeanor now carries with it only a small fine, which increases with repeated infractions. State Senate Minority Leader Larry Cafero compared the punishment to a speeding ticket.
Marijuana for medical purposes has been fully legalized in the state, giving it the status of a prescription drug. Of the twenty-one states that have legalized medical marijuana, Connecticut is unique in requiring each dispensary to have a pharmacist present on site.
Under federal law, however, marijuana is still an illegal substance. Town Attorney Timothy Bishop noted this legal discrepancy at a Zoning Commission meeting on March 25, but he expressed confidence that state regulations would protect the town from any trouble with the federal government.
Stratford Town Hall