Alexandria is considering a six-month moratorium on the acceptance of licenses or permits for any business that deals with the sale of vape, cannabis and alcoholic beverage products.
According to Alexandria City Attorney Mike Duncan, there has been an influx of proposals to the city for businesses that sell vape, cannabis and alcoholic beverage products, which was the reason for the moratorium.
“This allows us a little bit of breathing room within the next few months to wrap our heads around the issue, to propose some language to you all to chew on and that’s really the intention,” Alexandria City Administrator David Plummer said.
The Alexandria Planning and Zoning Commission is reviewing its zoning laws for cannabis operations. Duncan said the city is trying to regulate mainly the time, place, and manner in which vape and cannabis products are sold. The moratorium does not apply to any business approved for a license on or before Oct. 1. It also will not affect the sale of existing liquor licenses.
Plummer said the city’s ordinances do not mention vape regulations, such as the distance they can be sold from schools and churches.
“[The planning commission] talked about the regulation of vape shops,” Duncan said. “If you’ve noticed, there are lots of vape products. Some of these are derived from cannabis products, and they are not regulated in the city of Alexandria.”
Duncan said there are open questions in the alcoholic beverage ordinances as well.
“To give an idea of where our heads are at with this, we do have a restriction distance-wise for alcohol, but that provision is worded in a way that it seems to leave out beer,” Plummer said. “It’s packaged wine and liquor. I want to make that provision a little more clear.”
Alexandria Mayor Andy Schabell said he would like to see the ordinance passed at the next meeting on Oct. 17.