Caribou council adopts revised medical cannabis dispensary ordinance after heated public debate

CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou City Council voted to adopt a revised ordinance to allow medical cannabis dispensaries in the city, approving a measure that updates local zoning and licensing rules while prompting objections from the planning board and some residents.

The ordinance changes remove nonprofit-only language and creates a structure the council said will allow some for-profit medical dispensaries while preserving separation rules near schools and day cares. Supporters said the change will let existing caregivers pursue dispensary licenses; opponents warned the change bypassed the planning board’s authority and could invite legal challenges.

The planning board chair, Amanda Jondro, sent a July 25 letter saying the council’s draft bypassed the planning board and would render some existing businesses noncompliant. "The proposed changes introduced in June clearly bypass this established process, therefore violating the city's ordinances," she wrote. The planning board also argued the draft’s zoning choices — restricting new dispensaries primarily to R-3 residential zones and classifying the existing RC-2 business on Bog Road as nonconforming — could disadvantage businesses and prompt litigation.

City staff…