- November 6, 2024
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Wary of “thwarting the will of the people,” County Commissioner Donald O’Brien said he is not comfortable with many more delays in determining rules for medical marijuana in Flagler County, after the statewide vote in favor of legalizing it last year.
The Flagler County Commission on June 5 heard an update from Planning Director Adam Mengel, recommending that the commission extend the moratorium on medical marijuana another 90 days. A vote on the moratorium is expected at the June 19 commission meeting.
If the state Legislature doesn’t act by July 3, the state health department will devise rules about the cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana. The reasoning behind the Flagler County moratorium is to give the state a chance to make regulations, considering the state’s rules would pre-empt the local ones anyway.
Meanwhile, other Florida counties are making plans, according to O'Brien.
In the public comment portion of the June 5 meeting, George Mayo, of Palm Coast, said his brother-in-law died of cancer in December. “He got bottles and bottles of opioids from the VA, and they didn’t help, and he had side effects,” Mayo said. “And he said when he was able to smoke marijuana, that helped him more than anything.”
Why allow addictive opioids and not marijuana? Mayo asked. He asked the county to act now so citizens won't have to drive out of the county for the medical attention they desire.
O’Brien said he’d like to see a plan of action that could go into effect as soon as the state regulations are finalized.
“I’d rather see us take a proactive approach,” O’Brien said. “Why can’t we just look at what’s worked, or what’s in place in other counties, and model ours after that, rather than just putting a moratorium for another 90 days? I don’t understand what that accomplishes.”
