City Council takes first step toward attracting medical cannabis dispensary

Bill Wilson, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·3 min read
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Nov. 2—A medical cannabis dispensary will be legal in Anniston city limits thanks to an ordinance the Anniston City Council unanimously approved Tuesday night.

Anniston Mayor Jack Draper read the ordinance before the council voted on the measure and said that in 2021 the Alabama Legislature legalized and established a regulatory framework for medical cannabis.

Draper said that dispensaries cannot be operated in a municipality without the approval of the governing body authorizing dispensary sites within the city's corporate limits.

He said the council recognizes that Anniston serves as a medical care center for its residents and those in surrounding communities and the council wants patients within its jurisdiction to have full access to medical treatments and medications deemed appropriate by a physician.

"The Council further recognizes that the business with a dispensary within the city would be subject to extensive regulations under state law including regulations that should be expected to prevent any potential negative impact of a medical cannabis dispensary," the Mayor said, "The business of the dispensary will generate licensing and sales tax revenue that will further enhance the public benefit."

During a work session that preceded the formal meeting, Anniston city attorney Bruce Downey told the council the way he understood the law, there can't be more than one dispensary in each Alabama county unless a dispensary is an integrated licensee — meaning the business grows the cannabis, processes it, distributes it and sells it.

"You'll have, potentially, one licensee who can set up shop in Calhoun County that does nothing but buy from a processor and sells to consumers," Downey said.

The other dispensary, if approved, would be a business that grows, processes and sells cannabis.

In order for an applicant to be granted a license they have to identify where they would put their dispensary and demonstrate they have local approval, Downey said.

In making a case to the council for passing the ordinance, Downey said time was of the essence.

"You need to do it now, because licenesses are submitting their applications and they need to identify the locations and they're not going to identify a location in Anniston unless they know it's permitted," Downey said.

The mayor said he was in favor of the ordinance, and that other cities across the state, including Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and Opelika, have already given the green light to dispensaries.

"To me it makes just sense for us to do it," the Mayor said.

Councilman Demetric "DD" Roberts took the cannabis conversation another direction, saying he'd like to see Anniston decriminalize marijuana and treat it like a DUI situation.

"They have to pay a fine, they have to go to a class," Roberts said.

Roberts predicted that eventually marijuana will be legal in the entirety of the United States.

In other business the council:

— Approved a lounge retail liquor license for Grand Central Civic and Event Center located at 1031 Noble Street.

— Approved an expenditure of $45,000 from city reserves to fund the warming station based on the recommendation from the Homelessness Task Force. The warming station for the colder months is located at The Bridge on the campus of the Anniston First United Methodist Church.