Council renews moratorium on medical‑marijuana treatment centers while staff studies local rules

On July 14 the Zephyrhills City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance extending a temporary moratorium on new medical marijuana treatment centers. The moratorium, again limited to up to 12 months, is intended to give city staff time to develop local regulations that comply with state law.

City Attorney Matthew Maggard and staff briefed council that recent state statutory changes largely preempt local authority on certain aspects of medical‑marijuana facilities, making a short pause prudent while the city crafts precise local rules and assesses legal constraints.

A representative for an interested project (counsel for Mr. Pettinato) requested a continuance and asked staff to examine whether the rules for cultivation facilities and dispensaries could be separated; staff said the moratorium is intended to allow that kind of work but cautioned that state statute language may constrain the city’s ability to treat cultivation and dispensing as wholly separate uses. "I have doubts about that being possible," the city attorney said, and staff agreed to research the legal options and report back.

Council action: the council adopted the ordinance on second reading by unanimous vote, extending the temporary moratorium while staff completes regulatory analysis. Staff told council the moratorium will give planners time to return with proposed development standards and a recommended timeline for adoption.

Next steps: staff and the city attorney will research whether cultivation and dispensary regulations can be separated under current state law, draft model code language for council consideration, and propose a timeline for public hearings and a final local regulation if feasible.