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Peoria’s Hometown Newspaper
March 11, 2021
Council OKs regulations on marijuana testing facilities
BY SARAH DONAHUE Peoria Times Staff Writer
The Peoria City Council voted to pass additional regulations related to the recent passage of Proposition 207 in November, which legalizes the recreational sale, use and possession of marijuana for anyone age 21 or older. The motion states Peoria will only permit marijuana testing facilities within industrial and business park zoning districts. In addition, all facilities must be issued a conditional use permit. The motion to amend various sections of the Peoria City Code was passed unanimously during a council meeting on March 2. There were no public comments. “We’ve done extensive research on Proposition 207 and the limited number
of things in which we have the ability to customize or change for our city,” Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat said before the vote. The Smart and Safe Arizona Act gives cities and towns the ability to regulate recreational marijuana. Jurisdictions have the power to prohibit it entirely or restrict the ways in which recreational marijuana may be dispensed, tested or cultivated within facilities. The adopted amendments build on the city’s pre-existing regulations adopted in 2011, which have the same zoning requirements for marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facilities. There are two marijuana testing facilities in the Valley, which are located in industrial and business park locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix. As of now, Peoria has four medical mar-
ijuana dispensaries and no cultivation or manufacturing facilities. The changes also allow dispensaries to operate from the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., which was expanded from the city’s original regulation limiting sales to the hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. This amendment was put in place to align with the Arizona Department Health Service’s new rules in place with the passage of Proposition 207. The motion also re-emphasizes the existing regulation preventing residents from pursuing a home occupation in marijuana sales, cultivation or manufacturing. The planning and zoning commission discussed the land use regulations pertaining to marijuana establishments in a public SEE
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Officials: Economic impact promising for Spring Training BUSINESS..... 10 Jabz tasks members to ‘CURE’ childhood cancer
OPINION...................8 BUSINESS...............10 FEATURES...............14 RELIGION................17 YOUTH....................19 CLASSIFIEDS...........21
BY ZACH MOORE
Peoria Times Staff Writer
It has been approximately one year since Spring Training and the entire sports world as a whole shut down. People lost jobs. Teams and leagues lost revenue. Sponsorships were hard to come by. Yet, a year later, Spring Training is in the Valley once again. While there may be limited fans allowed in venues like Glendale’s Camelback Ranch, Goodyear Ballpark and Peoria Sports Complex, their respective cities are thankful for any return
of live sports. Spring Training is typically known to bring fans from all over the country to Arizona for warm weather and the early fix of baseball. However, due to the pandemic’s ongoing presence, many fans are not traveling, which has a snowball effect on ticket sales, restaurants and hotels. Still, Cactus League and city officials are optimistic. “There is certainly some good economic impact for the city of Goodyear and, quite frankly, the whole region of the West Valley,” said Lori Gary, Goodyear’s economic development director.
The city of Goodyear owns Goodyear Ballpark, where the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds play their Spring Training games. According to Gary, Goodyear Ballpark sold out its first game of the Spring Training season on Feb. 28. Jay Crandall, Glendale’s public information officer, is optimistic as well. Camelback Ranch hosts the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. “We are looking forward to the future
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