Walnutport continues to review its medical marijuana dispensary ordinance.

Borough solicitor Michael Corriere again discussed the ordinance with borough council on Thursday.

Corriere said the ordinance would include academic clinical research, medical marijuana growing processing plant, and medical marijuana transport vehicle facilities in an industrial zone, and medical marijuana dispensaries in a general commercial zone.

He told council the next step would be to submit the proposed ordinance to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and Walnutport Planning Commission.

From there, Corriere said council would then decide when the ordinance should be advertised if it wishes to proceed.

Council initially debated the issue last month after it was noted the matter has been a hot-button topic in neighboring Lehigh Township.

Councilwoman Patrice Hunsicker said at that time she believes it should be in industrial zoning, as she would rather see it away from residential.

Council then agreed at that meeting to have Corriere and borough engineer Jason Newhard review the ordinance.

After that meeting, Corriere said the general commercial district would be for dispensaries, and the industrial district would be for growing facilities.

Corriere said he and Newhard would review preparing a new ordinance, or modifying the current ordinance to address those uses.

Earlier last month, Lehigh Township’s planning commission voted to recommend the township’s zoning hearing board reject a proposal to build a medical marijuana growing and processing facility, along with a fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru.

LURRS, a partnership that owns land across the street from Lehigh Engineering Associates on Riverview Drive, is seeking a special exception from the township planning commission for the medical marijuana facilities, which is needed for the facility to be built within the general commercial district.

The Lehigh Township Zoning Hearing Board is planned to decide on approval of the plan at its meeting this month.