At the City of Red Bay’s most recent council meeting, topics under discussion included that of medical marijuana – and the potential for its sale within the city.

Mayor Charlene Fancher noted that May 17, 2021, Gov. Kay Ivey signed Act 2021-40, which provided for the medical use of marijuana for patients with qualifying medical conditions and valid medical cannabis cards. For the purposes of the sale and use of medical marijuana in Alabama, the act goes into effect Sept. 1.

“Now, this, of course, being passed, brings up many questions and concerns,” said Fancher. “From the state level, the state will not issue any licensing or permitting … If you wish to remain as is, and it isn’t allowed to be sold in the city limits, we won’t do anything.”

Fancher said no ordinance needs to be passed by the council unless they wish to allow for sales of medical cannabis within the city limits.

She explained there’s still a lot of rules and regulatory authority to be defined at the state level, as far as how medical marijuana is grown and how to obtain a license.

The council discussed and agreed to table the issue for now, with the intention to monitor how the situation develops in the state and other municipalities.

At its Aug. 3 meeting, the Red Bay City Council had discussed the RSA’s Employees’ Retirement Systems’ one-time longevity bonus. The city approved a resolution to grant the bonus at its recent meeting.

The estimated cost to fund the bonus for the City of Red Bay retirees is $7,728, which will be paid from COVID relief funds.

In other business, the council:

• Discussed and approved accepting bids on labor, equipment and materials to clean and recoat 14 red light poles and six decorative poles.
• Discussed and approved accepting bids on replacing traffic lights and installing mast arms at intersections.

The next Red Bay City Council meeting is set for Sept. 7. A work session will begin at 3 p.m., and the council meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m., at Red Bay City Hall.