ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Florida voters are just 20 days away from deciding on Amendment 2. If passed, it would expand patient access to medical marijuana in the state.
The town of Orange Park, however, is putting the brakes on any medical marijuana businesses looking to set up shop. They'll have to wait a year.
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Sam Garrison, an Orange Park Town Attorney, says town leaders will use that time to come up with rules on how those businesses are run. He also wants it to be known this moratorium isn't
about stopping people from having access to medical marijuana. News4Jax spoke to people in Orange Park who agree now is the time to get that process started ahead of the Amendment 2 vote.
Medical marijuana is being billed as a relief to people suffering from debilitating illnesses or conditions. Wade Coleman lives in Orange Park and understands this personally. He says his girlfriend uses it for her multiple sclerosis.
"She's in such severe pain and headaches, and discomfort. The marijuana puts her at ease," said Coleman.
But plans to bring medical marijuana dispensaries to Orange Park will be on hold for a while. Voting in favor of a one year ban on these businesses, town leaders now have more time to come up with rules on how and where these businesses operate.
Garrison says this is about safeguarding the community. For example, taking into consideration how close this type of business could be to a church or a school.
"This is like you would any other product. We do this for alcohol, for cigarettes, we do this for any sort of product. It's part of the transition period," said Garrison.
Garrison says the moratorium isn't stopping anyone from using medical marijuana if they need it. If the board finalizes its regulations plan before a year is up, the moratorium will expire.
"There's got to be some kind of restrictions and regulation of it. It can't get out of hand," said Garrison.
He says he wouldn't be surprised if it took less than a year for the board to draft up regulations. To his knowledge, he says no one has recently approached Orange Park leaders about starting up a medical marijuana business.