Commissioners hear ordinance to allow medical cannibis in Paducah

The Paducah City Commission introduced an ordinance Tuesday to establish zoning and other requirements to allow dispensaries and medical facilities to sell medical cannibis in the city.

Commissioners passed a resolution in May to allow medical cannibis in Paducah. Since then the city has researched state regulations and studied how other cities in the Commonwealth have moved on the subject. 

The city's planning commission made recommendations including the suggestion to only allow dispensaries in busier retail areas, because of the anticipated traffic that would not be wanted in a neighborhood setting.

KRS 218b will take effect on January 1 next year. Starting next month, dispensaries can apply to the state for licenses.

A lottery will be held by the state in January to determine where retail dispensaries will be placed within Kentucky's eleven proposed regions. The ten-county region that includes Paducah, Mayfield and Murray will be limited to have four dispensaries. In this first lottery, no county can be awarded more than one.  

Other types of medical cannibis facilities such as labs and cultivation facilities were also covered in the text for the ordinance, written in accordance with state regulations. Those facilities would be located in medical zones and/or industrial parks.

Commissioners were reminded that in the blind draw process of the first lottery, there is no guarantee that McCracken County will be drawn, but there would be more drawings for additional facilities at some point in the future. 

Only counties or municipalities that have applied for a facility will be included in the blind draw. Many of the counties plan to have the issue off allowing medical cannibis facilities on their ballots in the November election.