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WEBVTT APPROVAL, BUT THIS ONE IS THEFIRST TO BE APPROVED.RIGHT NOW IT IS A PIZZA PLACEAND A TENT TO SHOP, BUT SOON THELOCATION AND THE 2000 BLOCK OFWEST STREET WILL HOLD A MEDICALMARIJUANA DISPENSARY.A GREAT IDEA ACCORDING TO THECOUNCILMEMBER THAT REPRESENTTHAT AREA.>> THERE IS A NEED FOR FORPEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAINS ANDOTHER ISSUES THAT HAVE A NEEDFOR MEDICAL CANNABIS.IF WE CAN PUT THOSE INRESPONSIBLE LOCATIONS AND PEOPLECAN GET THE MEDICINE THEY NEED,I AM ALL FOR IT.KAI: THE RESPONSIBLE LOCATION ISWHAT SOME RESIDENTS ANDOFFICIALS DISAGREE ON.THE LOCATION BASICALLY SITS ONTHE LINE BETWEEN THE CITY OFANNAPOLIS WITHIN 1000 FEET OF ARESIDENTIAL AREA.A FACT THAT COUNTY OFFICIALS TRYTO AVOID WHEN THEY PREVIOUSLYPASSED IS ZONING WITHIN 1000FEET OF SCHOOLS.THE FUTURE MEDICAL MARIJUANALOCATION SITS SOUTH OF ROUTE 50.>> IT WAS NEVER THE INTENTION OFTHE COUNTY TO ALLOW A DISPENSARYIN AN AREA LIKE THIS.WE WROTE THE LEGISLATION ASTRICKY AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.THE SPONSORS OF THIS PARTICULARDISPENSARY READ IT ONE WAY.THE LAW WAS NOT PARTICULARLYCLEAR.KAI: IT WAS IN AND INTENDED GRAYAREA.THEY FOUND THE LOOPHOLE.11 NEWS WAS NOT ABLE TO REACHTHE OWNERS.THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGOFFICER APPROVED THEIRAPPLICATION FOR THE LOCATIONLATE LAST WEEK.>> THAT IS WHY WE REWROTE THELAW AND WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENTSITUATIONS LIKE THIS FROMHAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.>> ANYTHING THAT IS NEW PEOPLEWILL TAKE TIME TO GET USED TO.IT IS THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.KAI: ALTHOUGH COUNTY OFFICIALSREWROTE THE LOTS TO AVOIDANOTHER POSSIBLE LOOPHOLE LASTWEEK, IT IS TOO LATE TO APPLYFOR THIS CASE.THE MAYOR IS LOOKING AT LEGAL

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Anne Arundel County will likely soon get its first medical marijuana dispensary, but not everyone is happy about it. Download the WBAL app. The dispensary was approved to go in a location just outside Annapolis, in a spot that some residents and official say is too close to homes and schools. The dispensary, to be located in the 2000 block of West Street, will be a place where prescription holders are allowed to shop and buy medical marijuana. Several companies are seeking approval in Anne Arundel County, but this one is the first with an approved permit. County Councilman Chris Trumbauer, who represents the area, supports the location. “There's a need for it,” Trumbauer said. “I mean there's people with chronic pain and other issues that have a need for medical cannabis, so if we can put those in responsible locations and people can get the medicine they need I'm all for it.” But the responsible location part is what some residents in Trumbauer’s district and other county and Annapolis officials disagree on. The location basically sits on the line between Anne Arundel County and the city of Annapolis within 1,000 feet of a residential area, something county officials tried to avoid. The county previously passed a zoning regulation prohibiting dispensaries within 1,000 feet of neighborhoods and schools north of Route 50. The issue is the future medical marijuana location sits south of Route 50. “It was never the intention of the county to allow a dispensary to go in an area like this,” Anne Arundel County spokesman Owen McEvoy said. “We wrote the legislation as strictly as we possibly could. The sponsors of the dispensary read it one way. The law wasn't particularly clear.” This led to an unintended gray area in the law, and the future medical marijuana dispensary owners Advanced Alternative Therapies found the loophole. The Anne Arundel County administrative hearing officer approved their application for the location late last week. “That's why we re-wrote the law and were looking to prevent situations like this from happening in the future,” McEvoy said. “Anything that's new, people are going to take a little time getting used to and there's a fear of the unknown, so I think everything is going to end up OK,” Trumbauer said. Although county officials re-wrote the law to avoid another possible loophole last week, it is too late to apply in this case. Annapolis Mayor Mike Pantelides said that he is looking into legal arguments for an appeal.