Lafayette County to Hold Public Hearing on Zoning Medical Marijuana Businesses

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors will be holding a public meeting next month for input on what zones should allow medical marijuana-related businesses.

The recently passed Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act gave cities and counties 90 days to opt-out of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries.

Oxford nor Lafayette County voted to opt-out, so now both entities need to figure out zoning regulations on where businesses such as dispensaries and growing facilities can be built and located.

The Board of Supervisors will hold its public hearing at 9 a.m. on June 20 during its regular board meeting at the Lafayette County Chancery Building.

The discussion will be on amendments to the county’s zoning ordinance and a proposed Lafayette County Medical Cannabis Ordinance that will regulate medical cannabis uses and zoning areas.

“We have to determine where you will be able to cultivate it, and where dispensaries can go,” said Board President Mike Roberts.

Roberts said the county’s building department has done extensive research on how other counties have zoned and regulated medical marijuana dispensaries.

“We don’t legally have to hold a public meeting but we want to get input from our residents,” Roberts said. “That’s just how we generally do things.”