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Cocoa Beach leaders discuss medical marijuana clinics at public meeting

COCOA BEACH, Fla. — Cocoa Beach city leaders held a meeting Tuesday evening to discuss regulating medical marijuana clinics, even though Florida voters won't be deciding on the issue until November.

The meeting was held at the Cocoa Beach Country Club to accommodate a larger crowd, officials said. Many residents, both for and against medical marijuana, spoke out at the meeting.

"We don't want Cocoa Beach to be a medical marijuana destination," one resident told commissioners.

Commissioners heard concerns from several residents during the public meeting. They're seeking input in order to create policies that will regulate medical marijuana and its dispensaries if the state amendment passes.

"For me, when I climb out of bed the first thing I do is fire me a joint," another resident said at the podium.

At the meeting commissioners told the city attorney to move forward with drafting a plan to regulate medical marijuana clinics. They made it clear that they don't want any dispensaries on main roadways, including A1A, or in busy tourist areas.

City commissioner Skip Williams is on a mission to make sure medical marijuana doesn't hurt his town. Williams said he's not opposed to medical marijuana; he just wants to limit it.

"If we don't have regulations in place and they set up shop somewhere and we say, 'You can't go there,' they'll say, 'We have every right to do it here,'" said Williams. "So we have to put those rights in place now."

Officials said more public meetings about the issue will be scheduled in the future.