County says “no” to medical marijuana farm
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
While McKenzie County was one of the first counties in the state to have enacted zoning ordinances regulating the growing of medical marijuana, it will not be one of the first counties to approve such a facility.
During the county commissioners meeting on Tuesday, April 17, the board unanimously rejected a conditional use application from Gary Nottestad of Arnegard to convert a former RV park into a medical marijuana growing facility. The commission’s decision to reject the application follows the rejection by the Arnegard Township and a recommendation of denial by the McKenzie County Planning and Zoning Department.
“My plan is up in smoke right now,” stated Nottestad after the commission meeting. “It (a growing facility) will probably never happen here again.”
According to Nottestad, he saw that chance to convert 36 acres of land that he owned near Arnegard into a medical marijuana growing facility as an opportunity to dig himself out of debt.
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