The Annapolis City Council is considering placing a moratorium on new applications for non-medical cannabis dispensaries.
The moratorium, proposed in a resolution by Alderwoman Elly Tierney, a Democrat from Ward 1, was introduced at Monday night’s meeting. If passed, it would pause new applications for nine months to allow the council time to pass legislation establishing zoning standards around dispensaries.
The moratorium would allow the council to study and establish regulations that “enact reasonable, thoughtful, and lawful zoning requirements and other regulations … to protect the public health, safety, and welfare,” according to the resolution.
Tierney said the moratorium is meant to avoid “reactive legislation,” pointing to the example of short-term rental legislation that was passed four years ago in response to a rise in unregulated Airbnbs throughout the city.
“Due to lessons learned from [short-term rental licenses], we do not want reactive legislation,” she said. “We need to get ahead of it and ensure we are following state guidelines.”
The council may extend the moratorium beyond nine months if needed, according to the resolution.
Since the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation legalizing the recreational use of cannabis last year, the city has not considered any legislation that addresses the subject,