Columbia City Council eyes medical marijuana business license rules

After approving new zoning restrictions for businesses involved in the medical marijuana industry, the Columbia City Council will now consider rules for handing out business licenses.

The City Council voted 6-0 on Monday to add dispensaries, cultivators, infused product manufacturing and testing facilities to its zoning codes. None of them may set up shop within 500 feet of a school, day care or place of religious worship. The city will only license six dispensaries to start.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released applications on Tuesday to people interested in getting a license to run one of these businesses. The state will employ a blind scorer to review the applications, and decide which ones will receive an initial license to operate.

A business that earns one of those state licenses would then need to get approval from Columbia’s Business License Office before opening. Rules for how that office will review and approve those applications must still be worked out by city staff. Any changes need to be approved by the City Council.

Columbia Mayor Brian Treece said he wanted the city to also use a blind scoring system for dispensary applicants.

“We’re not just taking the first six that sign up and we’re not just drawing six out of a hat, but we actually look at ‘What is your level of investment, what is your safety plan, what is your architectural plan?'” Treece said.

The city should also consider provisions for diversity and inclusion in businesses, said Clarinda Davis, a local Realtor. Davis said she sees medical marijuana as a way to not only help physical ailments, but as a way to help an African American community that studies show were punished harsher than others for marijuana-related crimes.

“It’s not going to be pretty if you don’t try to accommodate, embrace and get to know the people that you’re serving,” Davis said.

Treece said he supported the diversity of businesses and business owners playing a part in the process. He said ensuring medical staff is culturally competent in serving minority communities is an expectation already in other health care industries, such as mental health and substance abuse counseling.

“We ought to make sure that the people that work there, the people who own there, or have ownership there, reflect the same demographics of our community that we expect for others,” Treece said.