The city of Inverness is moving forward with a plan to create an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

  • Council voted 3-1 in favor of ordinance
  • Concern lies with city's ability to regulate where dispensaries open
  • Currently no medical marijuana dispensaries in Citrus County

Currently, people that use medical marijuana have to drive at least an hour outside the city and county to get to the nearest dispensary. Rebecca Childs said medical marijuana has changed her husband's life.

He has Crohn’s Disease, and has seen a drastic improvement since using the medicine. However, Childs said it's a hassle to get the marijuana to their home in Inverness.

"It would really make things a lot easier," Childs said about the possibility of dispensaries opening in her city. "I have to take days off to be here for scheduled deliveries, or schedule time to drive an hour and a half to go get the medicine that he needs."

She was hopeful after the amendment legalizing medical marijuana in Florida passed last year.  She hoped it would have meant more dispensaries would open close to her home.

The Inverness city council, however, will not agree to allow them in.

The council voted 3 to 1 to move forward with an ordinance banning dispensaries in the city. Those three council members say they have an issue with the current law that limits the regulations city government can place on the dispensaries.

"We do not believe one size fits all," said Inverness City Council President Cabot McBride. "We do not believe the Florida legislature telling us how to manage this situation."

McBride said the council is not opposed to having medical marijuana within the city limits. Rather, he said the council is concerned about their ability to regulate where the dispensaries are located.

McBride did add that if the state changes some of their rules, they'd be willing to take another look at the ordinance.

"When we finally see the final product, when somebody is saying, 'Ok, this is what you have to work with,' we can go back and revisit the matter,” McBride explained.

“I think there's value in medical marijuana," McBride continued. "I think it is certainly much more valuable than the abuse of opioids that is taking over our entire country and those are things we're taking into consideration."

The council still has to cast a final vote on the ordinance once it is formally presented to them. If formally passed, it would only apply to the city of Inverness.

Currently, there are no medical marijuana dispensaries in Citrus County.

Childs told us she hopes the council reverses their decision soon.

"I think once they change their minds the benefits would be pretty boundless," Childs explained.