Martin Kidston
(Missoula Current) With the number of marijuana dispensaries increasing in Missoula and the health impacts on the city’s youth growing, the City Council on Monday night hit pause on issuing any new business licenses for pot sales and imposed new sanctions on those who sell to minors.
The council issued a temporary moratorium on issuing a business license to new marijuana dispensaries two weeks ago and made it permanent on Monday, at least until the city can take a fresh look at how many and where a dispensary can be located.
Council member Gwen Jones said that decision will be included in the city’s code-reform effort based upon national standards and best practices.
“We’re going to work on reevaluating our buffer zones here in Missoula in terms of where any new recreational dispensaries can be located,” Jones said. “I think there will be attrition in the next year or two. Economics dictate that it will happen at some point. But having buffer zones in place so we can create the landscape we want to see in the long run is what the goal is.”
The proliferation of recreational marijuana dispensaries in Missoula has public health experts concerned. Back in the summer of 2021,