Warren County commissioners are preparing for the opening of local medical marijuana businesses. The state plans to start accepting applications for such businesses later this year.Voters in Missouri legalized medical marijuana last November. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is finalizing the regulations that will govern the cultivation, manufacturing and dispensing of medical marijuana and related products.Applications for the various licenses will be accepted beginning June 4, said Mark Vincent, an attorney for the Warren County Commission.In view of the mandate from voters, and the new regulations that have been or will be adopted by the state, the Warren County Commission plans to adopt appropriate zoning laws to regulate where the various functions of the medical marijuana business can be performed.The county commission will request for planning and zoning officials to recommend changes to the county zoning code to provide for:• Dispensaries to be permitted in commercial 1 and commercial 2 zones.• Manufacturing to be allowed as a conditional use in industrial 1 and industrial 2 zones.• Testing facilities to be allowed as a conditional use in industrial 1 and industrial 2 zones.• Cultivation to be allowed as a conditional use in agricultural zones.An activity being allowed as a conditional use means each landowner must receive approval from the county planning and zoning commission before engaging in that activity. The commission may require extra stipulations before granting approval.The amendment of the planning and zoning code will require a public hearing before the county commission, according to Vincent.Marijuana