Cannabis dispensaries and growth facilities in Columbus? It’s one step closer to reality
The Columbus Consolidated Government’s Planning Department has applied for a change to the development ordinance that would allow for a medical cannabis dispensary and indoor cannabis growth facilities in the city.
According to an application, a request has been made to revise the text in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) “for medical cannabis operations.”
The move, according to Planning Division Chief Will Johnson, is a formality. It’s being made to align Columbus’ ordinance with a bill signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 to grow and sell medical marijuana in Georgia.
Since 2015, Georgia has allowed patients approved by a physician to possess cannabis oil.
The proposed ordinance change would allow for:
- Medical cannabis dispensary: A facility permitted by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to sell low THC oil to registered patients by a dispensing license.
- Indoor cannabis growth facility: A facility permitted by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to produce and manufacture low THC oil issued pursuant to OCGA Section 16-12-211 (Class 1) and OCGA Section 16-12-212 (Class 2).
GMCC plans to grant licenses to two 100,000-square-foot (9,290 square-meter) facilities and four 50,000-square-foot (4,645 square-meter) facilities statewide, according to the AJC.
Georgia opened the application process for businesses who want to manufacture cannabis oil for medical use in the state from Nov. 25 to Dec. 28.
Nearly 70 businesses submitted application proposals. GMCC Executive Director Andrew Turnage declined to say if any of them were located in Columbus, stating that the information is confidential by law.
State law allows licenses for six companies to grow medical marijuana. The level of THC, the chemical in marijuana that produces a high, cannot be higher than 5%.
Council must vote on the proposed change. Johnson said it will likely be March or later when that happens.
This story was originally published February 23, 2021 at 12:13 PM.
