Sioux Falls Planning Commission Passes Restrictive Medical Cannabis Zoning Ordinance
On Wednesday, the Sioux Falls Planning Commission passed a very restrictive medical cannabis zoning ordinance 6-0. This ordinance now moves to the Sioux Falls City Council.
The ordinance would ban cultivation and product manufacturing facilities entirely (no business could grow or manufacture any edible cannabis products within the city).
It would require dispensaries and testing labs (the businesses that test cannabis to ensure public safety) to be at least 1,000 feet (with conditional use possible at 500 feet) from "sensitive uses" (residences, churches, K-12 schools, day care, public use facilities, and parks).
For reference, this is twice the distance required of bars (500 feet from sensitive uses). 1000 feet is effectively three football fields from the edge of every residence (home or apartment), every church, K-12 schools, day care, public use facilities, and park in the city. This would push all dispensaries to the edges of the city.
The city produced a map but it is misleading because it includes areas that are almost certain to never allow a dispensary, including:
-Sanford Hospital
-Avera Hospital
-Augustana College
-USF
-Sioux Falls Arena and the PREMIER Center
-The Empire Mall
We will need to push back against this ordinance. The next step in the process is a Sioux Falls City Council meeting on August 17.
Today and next week, please contact the Mayor and City Council using the links below. Tell them that this proposed ordinance is far too restrictive and treats cannabis patients in the Sioux Falls like second class citizens.