The City of Kirksville could soon be opening its doors to medical marijuana businesses.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted at its Wednesday meeting to recommend that medical marijuana dispensaries be allowed to locate within commercial districts without any restrictions on their proximity to elementary and secondary schools, daycares or churches.

“For the purposes of zoning it is essentially treated as though it were a pharmacy,” commission chair John Buckwalter said.

The committee also recommended that other kinds of medical marijuana facilities, which could include businesses dedicated to cultivation, manufacturing and testing products, should be located at least 300 feet away from the nearest school, church or daycare.

The proposed ordinance approved to the commission includes a provision that will require any businesses using the words “marijuana” or “cannabis” in their names to precede them with the word “medical” in lettering that is just as large and readable on signage. The policy now need to be approved by the City Council before it can take effect.

The state of Missouri is now beginning to approve licenses for marijuana-related businesses, which must be majority owned by people who live in the state. After being approved by the state, businesses will have to find somewhere to locate.

In some jurisdictions, that could be difficult. Amendment 2, which approved medical marijuana, sets a maximum of 1,000 feet from schools, churches and daycares that can be changed by local governments as long as they do not impose “undue burdens” on businesses.

Craig Shorten, who attended the meeting to give positive feedback to the commission, said he also recently attended Missouri’s first medical marijuana conference in St. Louis. He said setting the limitation at zero feet could give Kirksville an advantage over other cities in attracting business.

No citizens attended the meeting to offer negative feedback.

Shorten said he thinks Kirksville is making the right choices on the medical marijuana issue.

“These are going to be medical facilities, and they’re probably going to be cleaner than most kitchens,” Shorten said.