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Midvale Journal

Where is medical cannabis allowed in Midvale?

Mar 02, 2020 10:39AM ● By Erin Dixon

Cannabis growth and sale was made legal in 2018. Midvale brought its own code up to date to reflect State code. (Image/Pixabay)

By Erin Dixon | [email protected]

In November 2018, Utah voters approved the production of medical cannabis in the state. Though every city is required to allow medical cannabis growth and sale, each city is able to put conditions on exactly where this happens in their city. 

Alex Murphy, city planner for Midvale, presented the guidelines to the Midvale City Council in February this year. 

“Growth and production is allowed in just one zone, the clean industrial zone,” Murphy said. 

Production facility requirements in state code, which Midvale City mimics, reads that production is “[n]ot permitted within 1,000 feet of a public or private school, a licensed child-care facility or preschool, a church, a public library, a public playground, or a public park.”

It is also “[n]ot permitted within 600 feet of an area zoned primarily for residential use.” 

When a growing or selling company approaches the city, they “... must provide a description of the physical characteristics of the proposed facility, including a site plan, floor plan, architectural elevations, and a security plan.”

A cannabis pharmacy is allowed in several zones, which includes along State Street, in Bingham Junction and Jordan Bluffs, historic commercial, and mass transit areas as well as a few others.

The distance restrictions are “a little different than the production standards, they are a little smaller,” Murphy said. 

Selling is allowed no closer than 200 feet to the same establishments as growing standards.

Difference between medical cannabis and CBD products

Jeff Dunn, licensed pharmacist with Farmer & Chemist, a CBD (cannabidiol) pharmacy in Midvale, explained that the general population does not understand the difference between medical cannabis and CBD products.

“There are marijuana plants and there are hemp plants. The main difference is the amount of THC in the plant. CBD comes from the hemp plant (the same plant as the commercially available and edible hemp seeds), it doesn’t have THC in it. Marijuana has THC in it.”  

“[The state] just awarded pharmacy licenses in December. There’s going to be 14 pharmacies that are going to open up this year specific to medical cannabis, which is very different than CBD,” Dunn said.

Farmer & Chemist applied for a medical cannabis license but the state “...awarded licenses basically to out-of-state companies,” he said.

“CBD can be nearly as medically effective as cannabis. Eighty to 90% of the medical efficacy of cannabis you can get with CBD. CBD is without THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component of medical cannabis,” Dunn said. Without THC, CBD can be nearly as effective without the high of cannabis.