A proposal to limit where new marijuana dispensaries can be located passed a key Prince George’s County Council committee.
The measure, which has majority support in the Council, would require new shops to be located in heavy and light industrial areas.
An amendment that would have allowed dispensaries in commercial zones like shopping centers failed.
Prince George’s County has nine marijuana dispensaries with an additional eight dispensary licenses expected to be granted.
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“We know the actual facility would be guarded, but what about outside, what about around,” Council member Wala Blegay said. “If you put it so close to out communities, it’s a risk and it’s a risk that I don’t think is worth taking.”
At a public hearing on the bill, some spoke against having the dispensaries in their communities and against marijuana in general. Recreational marijuana is legal in the state for those 21 and older.
“I know it’s a business, and all they think about is money,” one supporter said at the hearing. “Let’s think about our Black and brown children.”
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“This is almost like fear mongering,” said Hope Wiseman, owner of Mary & Main in Capitol Heights. “A lot of the things I hear just let me know that the propaganda used to push the war on drugs is alive and well still today.”
Cal Shah, owner of Waave in Greenbelt, said that the measure would make it harder for businesses to find a location and that there’s a lot of misinformation about the industry.
“We are only serving adults 21 and over and we do have enforcement and we do have security. We do ID checking,” Shah said.
Supporters of the bill point to the proliferation of tobacco, vape and liquor stores in the county. They want to be proactive by setting rules about where they want the shops to go before it’s too late.
“Some people talk that if we put it in industrial zones there’d be a marketing issue,” Blegay said. “Those who want it and need it will go to it.”
A final vote is expected next month.
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