JUPITER TO VOTE ON MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES
JUPITER — Town councilors are expected tonight to pass a $92.9 million operating budget for fiscal year 2019, as well as maintain its tax rate at 2.4633 mills. A mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
It’s also decision day for allowing medical marijuana dispensaries within town limits.
Twenty-two medical professionals in Jupiter have completed the Low-THC Cannabis Continuing Medical Education course with the state Department of Health, meaning they are allowed to recommend medical marijuana for a patient.
Those who spoke with The Palm Beach Post thought the town council’s decision would have little, if any effect, on their operations.
Dr. Andrew Fox, who runs referral clinic Woodstock Medicinal Doctors of Florida, is a recent transplant from Massachusetts, where he said there are even fewer dispensaries per capita than in Florida, but said he doesn’t have a strong opinion on the issue.
“(Councilors) should follow the will of the people,” Fox said. “That’s the most important thing.”
Dr. Robert Friedman, a neurologist and pain management specialist who practices in Jupiter and Lake Worth, said he’s selective about recommending medical marijuana to patients and will only do so if the patient has tried every other treatment method. He said as long as there’s at least one dispensary in Palm Beach County, he doesn’t see why Jupiter would need to add to the inventory.
“I don’t really care whether they have one in Jupiter or not,” he said.
When town councilors discussed the issue in August, they were split but leaned toward banning dispensaries. Mayor Todd Wodraska joined Councilors Jim Kuretski and Wayne Posner in supporting a ban, while Vice Mayor Ron Delaney and Councilor Ilan Kaufer were against it.
Posner said at the Aug. 21 meeting that despite nearly two-thirds of Jupiter voters supporting the medical marijuana amendment in 2016, he believed that voters didn’t intend for medical marijuana prescriptions to be used to treat conditions like anxiety. He also thought more research should be done on the effects of medical marijuana.
Lake Worth’s dispensaries, Knox Medical and Curaleaf, had been used as a case study for the town. In a staff report, councilors learned there were no crime issues related to the dispensaries or customers.
Earlier this month, Lake Worth city commissioners voted to ban any more dispensaries. Only a handful of residents have emailed councilors on the issue after the August meeting, most against the ban of dispensaries within town limits.
One person was supportive of the ban.
“People who have prescriptions for medical marijuana can get their prescriptions filled elsewhere ... Jupiter is a small town and I don’t think dispensaries fit the type of town Jupiter is,” Julie Whitten wrote in part. “I’m amazed they want to ban straws but open marijuana dispensaries!”
The Town Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. in council chambers, 210 Military Trail.