Henderson to join medical marijuana industry
Henderson is getting ready to enter the medical marijuana fray a year after the state signed the industry into law.
The city is scheduled to introduce a series of bills at the June 17 City Council meeting that would set the parameters for medical marijuana establishments including locations, fees, application process and general regulations.
The new ordinances are scheduled for final approval at the July 1 council meeting.
However, no time frame for accepting applications and beginning the approval process for licensing dispensaries has been established, according to city spokeswoman Karina Milani.
Henderson would charge a nonrefundable application fee of $10,000.
Once the application is approved, the license holders would pay from $60,000 for a license to operate a cultivation facility and dispensary at a location, to $100,000 for a license to operate a cultivation facility, dispensary and production facility for edible or marijuana infused products at one or more locations.
A fee of 6 percent of monthly gross revenue would then be assessed.
A license for an independent testing laboratory would cost $15,000 plus a semiannual fee.
Clark County commissioners are attempting to limit the number of applicants Henderson can submit to the state for approval to five dispensaries. However, Henderson City Manager Jacob Snow sent a letter to the county May 5 stating that the state law allows as many as 10 in the city.
The county approved last week 18 applicants to forward to the state for marijuana dispensaries.
Officials from North Las Vegas, who have been told by the county they could have four dispensaries, has indicated they might submit 10 applicants for approval when they start accepting license applications July 7. The Henderson bills would put in place zoning and fee regulations ahead of a City Council-approved six-month moratorium on medical marijuana establishments that is scheduled to expire July 6.
Gov. Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 374 into law June 12, 2013, to regulate the supply of medical marijuana. Henderson’s tentative regulation follows the state guidelines of marijuana establishments with a minimum separation of 1,000 feet from schools, but extends the state requirement of 300 feet from a community facility — parks, playgrounds, public pools, religious facilities — to 1,000 feet.
The city would also keep medical marijuana establishments 300 feet from residences and 5,280 feet between establishments. Henderson would have the businesses operate 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3882. Find him on Twitter: @KnightlyGrind.
