A strongly divided Lady Lake Commission on Wednesday split on a vote on the future of medical marijuana dispensaries in the town.
The town has wrestled with the issue for many months.
The commission on Wednesday night finally reached a decision.
Commissioner Paul Hannan warned that marijuana could be a gateway drug opening the door to future heroin and opioid use.
Commissioner Ruth Kussard said several states that approved medical marijuana later moved on to approve recreational marijuana.
“Lady Lake is small town U.S.A.,” Kussard said.
Commissioner Tony Holden countered that medical marijuana has no connection to opioids or street-level marijuana.
“It could help people with pain,” he said.
Commissioner Dan Vincent said that business appears to be slow at the medical marijuana operations that have set up shop in Summerfield and Sumter County.
“It doesn’t appear to be coming to every street corner,” Vincent said.
Mayor Jim Richards, Commissioners Vincent and Holden voted in favor of medical marijuana dispensaries with Kussard and Hannan dissenting.
