Local

Orange Co. commissioner maps out medical marijuana ordinance

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County may be the next local government to put an ordinance on the books before voters even decide whether to legalize medical marijuana.

Commissioner Ted Edwards said he’s being proactive because if he waits until after the voters hit the polls in November, it may be too late to create regulations.

Edwards wants to keep medical marijuana out of certain areas, including downtown Orlando and the tourist corridor—two  places that tend to attract a lot of people.

Some tourists said if medical marijuana was available at dispensaries in the tourist area, they’d think about vacationing somewhere else.

“I’d (be) more reluctant just because a lot of families (are) around with children. And it’s obviously not good for people to be smoking marijuana,” said tourist James Edwards.

Ted Edwards sent a memo to Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs laying out his concerns and potential issues with dispensaries, like zoning and land use.

The memo said there should be a 2,500-foot separation from schools and other dispensaries, and regulations should be in place to prevent inappropriate activities.

“Get a lot of people. Get a lot of loitering. You get some crime activity,” Ted Edwards said.

Maitland city leaders are working out similar details for its dispensaries plan.