Medical Marijuana Ordinance passed in Ardmore

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on August 25, 2018.

Ardmore City Commissioners passed new regulations for medical marijuana businesses unanimously Monday just four days before the state starts accepting application submissions for licenses.

As per the new ordinance, which is just an expanded version of State Question 788, which legalized medical marijuana in Oklahoma, businesses will not only have to get a license from the state but also apply for a permit from the city. They have to pay an application fee of $500 and another $2,000 for the city approved permit.

That's in addition to the $2,500 application fee the state requires.

The new ordinance also bars the residents from using marijuana on the premises of the businesses where it's sold.

The outdoor growers, as per ordinance, should plant marijuana on a field which has at least a 6 ft. tall fence around their crop, so that one doesn’t see through. Besides, it should have a locked gate.

The marijuana growers have to have specific ventilation and lighting that complies with municipal building and fire codes.

Speaking about the ordinance, Mayor Sheryl Ellis said "When we implement the ordinance with the rules and with the penalties we are simply trying to take care of the health, safety and welfare of all citizens in Ardmore.”

There's no estimate yet on how much it cost crafting the ordinance but Mayor Ellis believes the cost of fees is reasonable.

"When we instituted the fees, we instituted they are not burdensome," Mayor Ellis said. "They cover the cost of all the work, the research, time, the money, the effort (and) the legal fees in writing this ordinance."

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