Montgomery County schedules town halls and special meeting to decide dispensary policy after residents raise concerns

Montgomery County Fiscal Court announced that it will hold three public town halls — July 22 at the Montgomery County Civic Center, July 23 at Camargo City Hall and July 25 at Jeffersonville City Hall, all at 6 p.m. — to gather community input on cannabis dispensaries. The court said it will take up a final decision at a special workshop scheduled for Aug. 6 at 10 a.m.

The announcement came near the end of the court’s regular July 15 meeting, when officials said they were still “educating ourselves on the entire situation” and weighing local options. Dr. Johnson and other officials said they were reviewing arguments both for and against dispensaries before the public meetings and the special session.

During the public-comment portion of the meeting, a resident urged the court to decline dispensary permits for the county, saying concerns about traffic safety and local impacts outweighed potential benefits. “I just don’t want our county to be a dope dispensary,” the resident said, adding that they feared people would consume products and then drive home, creating risk for local drivers and families.

Court members acknowledged the comment and said the town halls and the August workshop will allow for broader community input before a formal decision. The court gave no timetable for a policy enactment beyond the scheduled Aug. 6 meeting.

Next steps: the county will host the three town halls, and the Fiscal Court expects to make a policy decision at its Aug. 6 special meeting.