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Mayor urges permanent opt-out of commercial cannabis sales; Green drug task force urges extended moratorium
Summary
City leaders and a local drug task force debated two planning ordinances that would prohibit commercial marijuana sales in Green and repeal conflicting cultivation language; the mayor recommended a permanent local opt-out while residents and some council members asked for more community input and clarity on medical access.
The City of Green’s planning committee reviewed two related ordinances on Feb. 11 that would prohibit commercial adult-use cannabis businesses within the city and repeal a local ordinance on cultivation to align with the new state law.
Mayor (S6) told council members he recommends a "permanent" local opt-out of commercial sales, citing community image and safety concerns and saying the city’s likely economic gain would be limited. He also warned that a pending state Senate bill (referred to in committee as "SB56") could remove municipal revenue sharing, reducing any local tax benefit from dispensaries. "It's hard to find reliable information on the dollar figure we are foregoing," the mayor said, and "I wouldn't foresee one or two dispensaries producing a lot of tax income anyway." He added that residents who wish to buy marijuana can do so in nearby municipalities.
Greg Meyer (S13), speaking for the Green Drug Task Force, urged the council to extend the moratorium rather than permit in-city sales. "We don't want young people to be able to walk by a drug dispensary in Green and say ... it must be okay," Meyer said, arguing the presence of a dispensary normalizes marijuana for youth and citing public-health concerns about impairment and cognitive effects.
Law Director (Attorney Dean, S14) told the committee the city must reconcile local codes with the state referendum and statutory language; he described repealing the cultivation section as "cleaning up" a local ordinance that would conflict with state provisions on home grow and related limits. He said the city's home-rule authority allows local regulation of where commercial activities occur (for example, through zoning), but criminal-law inconsistencies with state law make some local provisions unenforceable.
Council discussion focused on whether the proposed prohibition would also affect medical-marijuana patients. Several council members sought clarification that existing local medical-marijuana rules would remain in place or be separately reviewed. Committee Chair Davidis (S12) noted both pieces of legislation are on second reading and said administration and the law director will provide more precise language at the next meeting.
The committee set 2025-01 (prohibiting adult-use cannabis businesses) and 2025-02 (repealing the city's cultivation ordinance) for second-reading consideration at the regular council meeting, and staff indicated they will return with clarifications on the scope and interplay with medical access.
