The Lexington council is expected to approve new regulations determining where medical marijuana operators can locate in Fayette County in coming weeks.
On Tuesday, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council moved to its meeting agenda regulations that would determine what types of medical operations can go in what zones and also set local license requirements.
The council is expected to take a final vote on both the licensing fee structure and the medical marijuana zoning regulations at its June 27 meeting.
Lexington and other local governments across Kentucky are scrambling to get regulations in place before July 1, when licensing for medical marijuana operators will likely begin. Those licenses will be given through a lottery process. People can start getting medical marijuana cards starting Jan 1. That means the businesses have to be in place before medical marijuana is legally sold.
If cities and counties don’t have zoning regulations in place, those operators could come into a city or county and locate anywhere.
The law also says cities and counties can choose to outlaw all medical cannabis operations. Some northern Kentucky counties and cities are considering banning all medical marijuana operators.
Wes Holbrook, director of revenue for the city of Lexington, said the city can’t charge