The Helping Center
The Helping Center at 620 California Ave. is drawing complaints from the owners of a neighboring business and questions from city officials. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Marijuana shop draws attention of city council
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
November 11, 2010
A new medical marijuana shop in downtown Libby is drawing complaints from the owners of a neighboring business and questions from city officials as to whether the city council acted correctly in issuing a business license for the enterprise.
The matter was brought to the council’s attention by Mayor Doug Roll during a meeting last Monday. Roll said he didn’t know the nature of the business being conducted at "The Helping Center" at 620 California Ave. until he saw a marijuana leaf in the window. On the business license application submitted Sept. 24 and approved by the council in October, "pain clinic" was written in the space for "type of business."
The shop is part of a network of marijuana providers based in the Flathead Valley, with additional outlets in Kalispell, Bigfork and Columbia Falls.
Roll said he’s not sure if the city can rightfully grant a license for The Helping Center, because the licensing ordinance requires that a business operate in accordance with state and federal law. While medical marijuana became legal under Montana law after voters approved an initiative in 2004, it remains illegal under federal law.
The owners of Rivermist Home Décor, located next door to The Helping Center at 614 California Ave., were present at last week’s meeting and let the council know they aren’t happy about their new neighbors. Some people have gotten the mistaken impression that Rivermist is now selling marijuana, said Val Souther.
"It’s already putting a bad light on Rivermist, and we’re concerned about the type of people this will bring into our area," she said. "I’m sorry – I realize some people need this for medical purposes, but not everybody does."
Souther told the council the new shop next door looks "almost sinister" because the windows are dark and the door is always locked, with customers having to knock to be let in. Roll said the locked doors and dark windows are probably due to security concerns, as medical marijuana businesses can be a lucrative target for burglaries and robberies.
Rivermist co-owner Denise Purdy-Patrick suggested that medical marijuana businesses be required to be located in "an appropriate place," and that they be regulated in a similar manner to businesses selling alcohol.
The city is limited in what it can do, Roll said.
"The city can regulate only so far, and then we’re stuck," he said.
State Rep. Jerry Bennett, also in attendance at last week’s meeting, said the Legislature is working to tighten state regulations on medical marijuana.
"It’s a huge issue," he said, suggesting that only a small percentage of Montana residents with medical marijuana cards have a legitimate need. When the law went into effect in 2005, the Department of Public Health and Human Services estimated that around 300 cards would be issued per year. To date, more than 23,000 cards have been issued across the state, with nearly 600 in Lincoln County along with 165 registered providers, Bennett said.
"If we can’t screw this down, I would urge you to get every voter out to repeal this law," he said.
In other business, the council unanimously approved a new growth policy to replace the city’s 1972 comprehensive plan. The new plan, which had been presented to the council in October for review, provides an overview of the current state of the city and sets objectives for the next 20 years. It is designed to serve as a guideline for city policy but carries no regulatory authority.
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Editor's Note: See the November 9, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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