Broward sets zones for medical pot dispensaries
Medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed in unincorporated Broward County, despite objections from the people who live there.
Residents of the county’s unincorporated communities — which are poor, predominantly black and have high crime rates — have watched many cities the dispensaries and see their neighborhoods becoming a dumping ground for them.
“Must unincorporated Broward County always be the Henrietta Lacks or Tuskegee Experiment for the neighboring more affluent communities in the area?” asked resident Wendy Jerkins, referencing past medical research that took advantage of blacks, in the Tuskegee case with dire health “We’re asking you all to do what so many of the other neighboring municipalities have done. They found that is is in the best interest of their residents to ban it or to place a moratorium [on the dispensaries],” she said.
Commissioners voted 6-2 in favor of the dispensaries, saying a moratorium would only delay a decision. The only opban tion besides a ban was to allow them just as they would a pharmacy.
“My city, Cooper City, has banned it and I think that they made a mistake,” Commissioner Steve Geller said. “As a county commissioner, I will vote to respect the will of the voters.”
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ingly approved the use of medical marijuana in 2016.
More than 20 cities have banned or placed moratoriums on the medical pot dispensaries in Broward County. South Florida’s newest dispensary opened this week in Palm Beach County in Lake Worth, the second in that city.
Commissioner Michael Udine, who supported the dispensaries, said he visited one of the Lake Worth dispensaries and described them as “extremely, extremely high-end facilities” that could bring economic development to Broward’s unincorporated communities that are so in need of a boost.
But opponents saw the dispensaries as ill-suited for areas where drug-dealing and addiction are critical problems.
“Our neighborhood is still in crisis. When you’ve got something sick, you don’t put more disease on it,” unincorporated resident Linda Taylor said. “Don’t give us something we don’t want.”
Commissioner Dale Holness, who represents unincorporated areas west of Fort Lauderdale near State Road 7, voted against the dispensaries, along with Commissioner Tim Ryan.
“They’re saying this is not going to help them,” Holness said. “Yes, it’s perception, but that’s why all those other cities ban it.”
The county action allows dispensaries in three general areas:
Central County: On Sunrise Boulevard between Northwest 31st and Northwest 24th avenues; on Southwest 27th Avenue between Sunrise and Broward boulevards; and Broward Boulevard between Northwest 31st and Northwest 27th avenues. Other areas would be the northeast corner of Broward Boulevard and Northwest 25th Terrace and on Northwest 31st Avenue near Northwest 13th Street.
Broadview Park: On U.S. 441 generally between Davie Boulevard and Interstate 595, and one parcel at Davie Boulevard Extension and Peters Road.
Hillsboro Pines: On the east side of U.S. 441 between the northern Broward County border and Loxahatchee Road.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners:
Authorized placing a portrait of Thomas J. Reddick Jr., Broward’s first black circuit court judge, in the County Courthouse. The bar association named for Reddick led the effort to remove the statue of former Gov. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward from the courthouse last year over racist comments attributed to the county’s namesake. The county will contribute $5,000 toward the cost of displaying the Reddick portrait, which is expected to be installed this summer.
Approved a paid parental leave policy for eligible county employees that provides 180 hours of paid leave to care and bond with a newborn, a newly adopted child, newly placed foster child or newly placed child under a court ordered legal guardianship.
Set a vote for Feb. 6 on creating an adult civil citation program, which would give police officers and deputies an alternative to arrest for adults involved in certain minor, non-violent offenses. The county already has such a program for juveniles. Sheriff Scott Israel supported the program, saying “it gives adults second and third chances.”
Directed the county attorney to prepare new regulations for commissioners to consider that would prohibit the planting of trees under power lines and restrict how close trees can be to power lines based on how tall they’re expected to grow. The county is looking for ways to reduce power outages caused by hurricanes. Most of the outages during Irma were due to trees, limbs, palm fronds and other vegetation falling on the lines, FPL officials have said.
Approved a three-year contract with the union representing about 930 county white-collar employees. It includes a 3 percent raise retroactive to October and a 2 percent raise effective in October 2018.
Selected a team of legal firms to represent the county in a proposed lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. The team includes local attorney Eugene Pettis. The firms are. Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert; Morgan & Morgan; Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm; Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein; and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP.