Marijuana Business Magazine May-June 2020

Marijuana Business Magazine | May-June 2020 78 • In Orlando, Florida, medical marijuana dispensaries are not restricted to specific zones. Buffer rules come into play in Orlando, however. Green noted that dispensaries there must be 1,000 feet from any school, park, religious hub, day-care center or rehabilitation facility. In addition, Orlando dispensaries must be at least 200 feet from any residentially zoned areas and at least 1 mile from any other dispensary, she said. ZONING GOES BEYOND LAND USE Zoning regulations can even dictate the size of a marijuana store with rules about minimum and maximum square footage, as well as other aspects of the business. In Phoenix, Green said, a dispensary can be no larger than 2,000 square feet, including office and storage areas, as well as the sales floor. But in Tempe, Arizona, a dispensary can be as large as 5,000 square feet— and there is no size limit in nearby Scottsdale, she added. Prospective marijuana businesses might need to deal with issues such as security and parking under zoning rules. For example, the Chicago suburb of Warrenville adopted a zoning ordinance in December allowing adult- use marijuana stores. Warrenville’s ordinance was created to take advantage of an Illinois law that allowed recreational sales to begin Jan. 1. Special zoning requirements that recreational marijuana business applicants must address in Warrenville include: • Security. • Lighting. • Crowd control. • Deliveries. • Traffic. • Parking. • Drainage. OVERCOMING HURDLES Experts offered the following tips about how to deal with cannabis zoning issues: Organize a petition drive: In Maine, citizens can petition a community to permit marijuana businesses where they currently are prohibited, according to cannabis attorney Snow. A knowledgeable lawyer can help draft an ordinance to present to the local municipality. “This may turn out to be the way most municipalities opt in” to allow marijuana sales, she said. Tap city resources: In Denver, the city’s planning and development department created project guides for marijuana businesses that address zoning and buffer zone issues, Escudero said. The city’s Excise and Licenses Department provides pre-application meetings to address zoning and related issues for those wanting to open cannabis businesses in Denver, he noted. Use high-tech tools: The GIS maps provided by CannaMLS screen sites that are zoned for cannabis businesses. The company also provides demographic information about various areas to increase the chance of success for fledgling marijuana businesses. Meet with city officials: In Warrenville, Illinois, a prospective marijuana business should meet with the city’s staff to provide details of its business proposal and learn about the municipality’s approval process, said Natalia Domovessova, a senior planner for the town. Turn to an outside expert: Hire a lawyer and/or a land planner familiar with local zoning rules, said California lawyer Amy Steinfeld, an attorney with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Snow, however, advises against meeting with code-enforcement officials, town clerks and planning 90 290 GRANDAVE WELLSST CLARKST STATEST LAKEST HALSTEDST ERIEST OHIOST DEARBORNST ADAMSST CHICAGOAVE LAKESHOREDR DIVISIONST MONROEST HURONST MADISONST WABASHAVE MICHIGANAVE ONTARIOST LASALLEDR VANBUREN ST GREEN ST JACKSONBLVD WACKERDR KINZIEST SUPERIORST CANALST MORGANST KENNEDYEXPY ORLEANSST CHICAGORIVER RIVERWALK DESPLAINESST PEORIAST LARRABEEST FRANKLINST WACKERLOWERDR JEFFERSONST GOETHEST RUSHST EISENHOWEREXPY KINGSBURYST ELMST SANGAMONST HOOKERST NBRANCHCHICAGORIVER HUBBARDST MILWAUKEEAVE RYST WASHINGTONST PEARSONST ILLINOISST NBRANCHCANAL CARPENTERST RIVERSIDEPLZ SEDGWICKST DELAWAREPL OHIOFEEDERXR CHERRYAVE HICKORYAVE CHESTNUTST HILLST HUDSONAVE NAVE CALHOUNPL FULTONMARKET LAKEFRONTDR MONROEDR MCCLURGCT CARROLLAVE NORTH BRANCHST CROSBYST OAKST JACKSONDR CLYBOURNAVE HOBBIEST STCLAIRST MARBLEPL ASTORST MAPLEST WALTONST SCOTTST MCCORMICKPLBUSWAY STATEPKWY FAIRBANKSCT WALTONPL FULTONST RANDOLPHST WAYMANST FEDERALST CEDAR ST TILDENST LASALLEST STETSONAVE NEWST RIVERDR PLYMOUTHCT SCHILLERST COLUMBUSDR BANKSST DEWITTPL CLEVELANDAVE DELLPL BELLEVUEPL CLINTONST INSTITUTEPL MOHAWKST COUCHPL ACADEMYPL UNIONAVE CAMBRIDGEAVE HARBORDR STONEST WACKERRAMP CONGRESSDR QUINCYST BENTONPL GARLANDCT ARCADEPL EVERGREENAVE LESSINGST FINANCIALPL PARKDR EASTMANST ABERDEENST BREAKWATERACCESS HADDOCKPL HOWEST POSTPL NORTH WATERST LSDWACKERDRNBER STREETERDR ALLEY COURTPL WACKERPL FAIR PL BURLINGST CONGRESSPKWY CTABUSLN WOLFPOINTPLZ HOLDENCT BEAUBIENCT FELTONCT LADYSAVE LAKESHOREDR HUDSONAVE BENTONPL COLUMBUSDR ELMST SCHILLERST CHESTNUTST GREEN ST KENNEDYEXPY HURONST ILLINOISST OAKST STCLAIRST SANGAMONST COUCHPL HUBBARDST PEORIAST COLUMBUSDR TILDENST FRANKLINST RUSHST WAYMANST SCOTTST OHIOST STNUTST PEORIAST QUINCYST COUCHPL ERIEST GOETHEST SUPERIORST LAKESHOREDR WALTONST WALTONST CARROLLAVE OHIOST EASTMANST RANDOLPHST COURTPL CLINTONST HADDOCKPL CHESTNUTST KINGSBURYST ALLEY hicago Cannabis Zone Exclusion Area Regulators in Chicago identified seven districts to ensure equal distribution of marijuana retailers across the city. However, cannabis retailers are not permitted in a Downtown Exclusion Zone, highlighted in pink, located in the central business district. Courtesy Photo Chicago Cannabis Zone Exclusion Area ZONING MAZE