Coolidge amends and clarifies future marijuana sales and cultivation

by Aaron Dorman | Coolidge Examiner

A map of Coolidge showing potential restrictions on marijuana sales and cultivation within city limits. The light green area in the southwest corner is a current cultivation site. The green areas along Arizona Boulevard represent potential future sites for dispensaries. The gray areas on the map represent a 500-foot separation boundary; the city council expanded that to 1000 feet. Courtesy of the City of Coolidge

With the legalization of marijuana in Arizona under Proposition 207, many cities have begun to formally regulate sales. Coolidge City Council members sought to balance potential commercial needs with keeping the drug away from community centers.

At their meeting on Monday, council members approved an amendment to the zoning code, which served several purposes: first, recreational marijuana was approved within zoning for medical marijuana, pending a Conditional Use Permit. The city limited recreational marijuana sales sites to be only at an existing medical dispensary-there is currently one in the city.

Also, the “exclusion area” boundary between potential dispensaries and sites like schools and churches was extended from 500 to 1,000 feet.

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