Volusia County, FL - The Volusia County Council decided at its meeting on Thursday to keep medical marijuana dispensaries regulated the same as pharmacies and approved the purchase of new tasers, body cameras, and motorcycles for the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
The Council elected to "do nothing" regarding the regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries. This means that medical marijuana dispensaries will be treated like pharmacies under current zoning regulations.
The medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed in certain areas of the county, so long as they do not come within 500 feet of a school.
"I voted against, twice, against the medical marijuana deal, but thinking about it, now it's time to move forward, and if we do nothing, I think it takes care of it," says Councilman Pat Patterson.
County Council Chair Ed Kelley mentioned that 73% of Volusia County already voted for medical marijuana. "If you do nothing, you just move ahead, and your regulations already allow for it," Kelley explained.
For more information and earlier reporting on the medical marijuana dispensaries, click
here.
Another item the County approved was a measure to allow for the purchase of 20 motorcycles, 42 new body cameras, and 220 state-of-the-art tasers for Volusia County Sheriff's Office. The body cameras and tasers are worth about $555,000. The budget for the motorcycles is approximately $125,000.
"We will be one of the very few sheriff's office offices in the state of Florida with full implementation of body cameras who are well ahead of the curve," says Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. He also mentions that when the tasers are pulled out of the deputy's holster, the body cameras would automatically be turned on.
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