Special meeting called regarding medical cannabis
May 30—The Athens City Council has called a special meeting for Monday, June 5, at 10 a.m. where they will decide whether to or not to repeal an ordinance passed in November 2022 allowing for medical cannabis dispersing sites in the City of Athens.
The council approved passed an ordinance at its November 28, 2022, meeting with a vote of 4-0, with Councilman Chris Seibert abstaining.
"The ordinance does not guarantee a dispensary in Athens," the city's attorney Shane Black said. "Currently, the commission is only allowing four dispensary licenses. That would mean a licensee could only operate up to three sites. That puts a real limit on the actual number of dispensaries in the state."
The council recently began receiving pressure from an alliance of area pastors to reconsider the ordinance. Council President Harold Wales added the issue to the agenda at the council's May 22 meeting to allow the vote for the ordinance to be repealed.
Three votes from the four council members eligible to vote will be needed at the June 5 special meeting to repeal the medical cannabis ordinance. Councilman Seibert will abstain.
