Whitefish board mulls new rules for marijuana

Proposed regulations for growing and dispensing medical marijuana in Whitefish will be considered at a public hearing on Thursday before the Whitefish City-County Planning Board.

After the City Council imposed an emergency ordinance in December, putting a six-month moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries, the Planning Board held two long work sessions with the public to address issues and give the city planning staff direction to draft zoning regulation amendments to accommodate medical marijuana.

The city proposes to limit medical marijuana dispensaries to conditional use in the WB-2 secondary business district along U.S. 93 from Dairy Queen to Montana 40 and the WB-4 district in the Baker Commons business park.

Dispensaries would be required to be 200 feet from schools, libraries, playgrounds, daycare centers, churches and other marijuana dispensaries.

With regard to allowing caregivers as home occupations, the Planning

Board recommends a compromise of five patients per home caregiver.

The emergency ordinance allowed up to three patients, but a preliminary analysis indicated a caregiver likely could have up to 20 patients and still fall under home occupation standards, according to a planning staff report.

Growing facilities would be allowed in agricultural and rural residential zoning districts.

The proposed changes also establish definitions for primary caregivers, patients and dispensaries.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Whitefish City Hall.