HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — Harrisonburg City Council passed a resolution asking the Planning Commission to begin considering zoning changes to get the city ready for the Virginia Cannabis Control Act, which will allow 350 retail cannabis establishments statewide.

City Attorney Chris Brown explained during this week’s meeting that a zoning ordinance should be in place by next May 1st.

“They actually go into business in July 1st. We don’t want an establishment to be grandfathered in and only have to comply with the state regulations instead of whatever regulations we make. There are certain areas where the city may be able to have more stringent regulations than what are issued by the authority,” Brown said.

Brown added that the city cannot prohibit the stores, but can restrict their location, including their proximity to schools.

He said the Commissioner of the Revenue is already looking into how the facilities can be taxed.