Changes for Durant medical marijuana ordinance

DURANT, Okla. -- The City of Durant is making another adjustment to its medical marijuana ordinance.

The change comes after city leaders heard the concerns of medical marijuana businesses, growers, and patients at a town hall meeting on Thursday night.

Patient privacy is the primary factor behind the change.

"We've seen other cities that have evidently stepped across that line in the eyes of some of the citizens that have filed lawsuits," said City Manager Tim Rundel. "We certainly don't want to go down that route."

The original ordinance that would require patients to register as a medical marijuana user was changed after the the city realized it was a violation of patient privacy.

"We realized quickly this is something that we probably don't want to go down, putting a list of folks together," Rundel said. "We don't do that for other medications, and this is certainly another medication that's offered to our citizens now in a legal form or fashion."

Users will still have to comply with all state laws and regulations, but Dustin Belvin, who plans to dispense medical marijuana at his shop called The Remedy, said the way the City of Durant is handling the issue is something other cities should pay attention to.

"Get public attention, and get people to talk about it, because a lot of these concerns that were being addressed weren't even brought up by anybody," Belvin said.

Proposed Durant medical marijuana ordinance: