The Green Dragon Dispensary is one of several medical marijuana dispensaries inside the Inverness city limits. It is located in the former Capital City bank building in the Inverness Shopping Plaza on U.S. 41.
The Green Dragon Dispensary is one of several medical marijuana dispensaries inside the Inverness city limits. It is located in the former Capital City bank building in the Inverness Shopping Plaza on U.S. 41.
Concern about growth, enforcement and the city’s small-town character pushed the Inverness City Council toward consensus Tuesday night on renewing a ban on new medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.
The discussion unfolded after 10 residents and prevention advocates urged council members to limit further expansion, citing traffic safety, youth exposure and what they described as loose controls in other states where marijuana access is widespread.
“I’m not against medical marijuana,” said Jeff Burke, a local pastor, city resident and property owner. “There are positive uses for it. But it’s not very tightly controlled, and we can’t control everything – but we can keep it from being on every corner.”
Inverness dispensary ordinance – at a glance
What’s proposed: A ban or cap on new medical marijuana dispensaries in Inverness.
Who it affects: Future dispensaries only – existing locations would remain open.
What it won’t do:
Shut down current dispensaries.
Change state medical marijuana laws or patient access.
Why the city can act: Florida law allows cities to regulate dispensary locations and zoning.
Process: Requires two readings and a public hearing before adoption.
What’s next: Draft ordinance expected to return to the council as early as January.
Burke told council members that experiences in Colorado and California, along with his past work in addiction recovery, left him skeptical of how easily medical marijuana cards can be obtained and how difficult impairment is to regulate.
Also speaking was Renea Teaster, director of the Citrus County Anti-Drug Coalition, who said the issue is no longer abstract for educators and prevention workers.
“Drug prevention starts very early these days – elementary school,” Teaster said. “I’m having conversations with youth that I never thought I would have in my lifetime.”
Teaster said the normalization of a psychoactive substance – even one that is medically legal – complicates prevention efforts, particularly for adolescents whose brains are still developing.
“When young people see what’s accepted in the community, that influences their decisions,” she said. “So the question becomes: What do we really want our community to look like?”
She praised Inverness for preserving its “small town done right” identity and urged council members to keep prevention at the forefront by limiting additional dispensaries.
Mayor Bob Plaisted said he supported stopping the “proliferation” of dispensaries, pointing to the financial incentives driving rapid expansion.
“There’s big money involved,” Plaisted said, recounting a personal family experience in California. “That’s why there’s a proliferation, and that’s why we need to really consider limiting it.”
Councilwoman Crystal Lizanich asked staff to bring the issue back as a formal agenda item, allowing the council to review and shape an ordinance through the required two-reading process.
City staff confirmed a draft ordinance could be brought back as early as January, with a first reading followed by a public hearing at a second reading.
Councilman Tom Craig, who also worked 16 years with D.A.R.E., highlighted the enforcement challenges.
“There’s still no test to determine how intoxicated someone is on marijuana,” Craig said. “That makes enforcement difficult, even though driving under the influence is illegal regardless.”
Council President Gene Davis closed the discussion by summarizing what he described as a clear consensus.
“I think you’ve heard the general consensus of our council,” Davis said. “Our intent is not heavy control – it’s simply to limit any more dispensaries coming into our town.”
Davis said the council plans to pursue an ordinance that mirrors limits adopted by Citrus County and the city of Crystal River.
Inverness previously banned medical marijuana dispensaries in 2017, before rescinding that prohibition in 2019. The repeal allowed dispensaries to operate in certain zoning districts, treating them similarly to pharmacies and subjecting them to setbacks and other land-use rules.
Mike Arnold can be reached at mike.arnold@chronicleonline.com or 352-564-2929, ext. 429.
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