Survey: Cape residents divided over buffer zones for marijuana businesses

Cape Girardeau residents are divided over just how far away to keep medical marijuana dispensaries from churches, schools and day cares.

Early results from the city's online survey found 40.6% of 160 respondent favored a buffer zone of 200 feet in all or most of Cape Girardeau, city officials said.

Another 31.3% preferred the 1,000-foot buffer, the maximum allowed under a constitutional amendment approved by Missouri voters last year legalizing medical marijuana.

The survey found 23.2% favored a 500-foot buffer. Another 5% preferred a 300-foot buffer.

Asked how far away to keep medical dispensaries from churches, schools and day cares in the downtown or central business district, 55.6% said 200 feet was the proper distance.

Another 26.3% favored a 1,000-foot distance. A 500-foot distance was favored by 11.2% and 6.9% preferred a 300-foot buffer, according to a report presented recently to the Cape Girardeau City Council.

City staff also listed some of the comments made by respondents to the survey.

Some said they did not want to overly restrict where medical marijuana dispensaries could be located.

"I don't think it should matter how far away it is from a church or school," one respondent wrote.

"There is no buffer requirement for pharmacies and there should be none required for medical dispensaries," another wrote.

But one respondent wrote, "Keep this as far away as possible from children and churches."

Others suggested medical marijuana would generate needed tax revenue.

One respondent wrote, "Cape needs to get with the times. Full recreational marijuana is coming. This is just the first step."

As of Thursday morning, the number of responses to the city's survey had climbed to 238. City staff said those additional responses had not yet been tabulated.

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