Two cannabis retailers intended to set up shop in Gallup once legalization was finalized in April 2022. However, both retailer permits were initially denied when they were determined to be within 300 feet of protected uses, or residential uses, and both appeals challenged the 300-foot rule. The appellants also asked the city to reduce the allowable distance to 150 feet.

Rodney Curnutt wanted to open The Green Scene dispensary at 202 S. Third St. When his permit was denied, he challenged the definition of “residential use” and the inclusion of museums in protected uses. The council’s actions solved his problem so he was able to get Planning Commission approval for a conditional use permit the following day and is planning a grand opening for Jan. 23.

However, Joseph Hyde, of Hyderoponics Indoor Garden Center, wanted a conditional use permit to allow his garden supply business at 300 W. Hill Ave. to sell hemp seeds, arguing that the cannabinoid content of seeds is too low to be considered cannabis, so the 300-foot rule should not apply.

Hyde got fed up with waiting for the city to change the rules and moved his business to Grants before the change.

“I can’t just sit around. It’s not my personality, so I found another way,” he said. “I’m going to have a garden center for cannabis consumers and people who want to grow seeds at home.”

Hyde said he is still planning on selling seeds, but the new location will also allow him to sell consumable cannabis. Hyde’s state cannabis license has always allowed him to open a dispensary, but that was not his plan in Gallup. He decided to extend his business to include a dispensary, which opened Jan. 16 at 118 High St. in Grants under the Hyderoponics Indoor Garden Center name.

He’ll have to commute to work every day, but he said his rent is cheaper in Grants so that will offset the cost. He’s spent the last month getting the new location ready.

“I’ve been closed for a month so I could put all my time into getting this up and running. There was a lot I had to do,” he said.

Since he originally was only planning on selling seeds, he didn’t have security systems or safes set up. He also didn’t need solid commercial doors, but now that he’s selling consumable cannabis he has installed them at the new site.

LOSSES LEAD TO REVISIONS

The loss of one retailer to another city and ongoing clashes with other retailers led to the City of Gallup revising the zoning ordinance for cannabis  sales.

The biggest change to the Land Development Standards regarding marijuana sales is how the Planning Department will determine proximity to homes. Under the previous standards, cannabis retailers were barred from setting up shop within 300 feet of a “residential use.” But that definition was a bit unclear when it came to mixed uses downtown, where some businesses have attached apartments.

“We removed the term ‘residential use’ entirely because it was just too confusing. Is it a house? Is it an apartment? Is it when someone sleeps on a couch inside a business? So we just removed it,” Planning Manager Nikki Lee explained during the city council meeting Jan. 10. “Now what we are doing is controlling it with the pure residential districts.”

Going forward, cannabis retail will be allowed in primarily commercial districts, as long as they are 300 feet from the nearest residential zone. That spares prospective cannabis retailers the challenge of sitting 300 feet from apartments in downtown’s mixed use commercial zones.

The rules the city council City Council approved also remove museums from the list of “protected” uses that cannabis retailers must avoid. New cannabis retail is still forbidden within 300 feet of day care facilities, schools, religious institutions, cemeteries, community or recreation centers, correctional facilities, libraries, parks and public open spaces – unless they move in after the cannabis business is established.

HOME GROWN

Changes to the cannabis ordinance will also affect home growers. Planning and Development  Director C.B. Strain had mentioned in study sessions last year that home growers were often not complying with a rule that required grow operations to be in a secured building.

“Where we are having a big issue is with residential cultivation,” he said at the time. “The state requires that it be indoor cultivation. People are planting [marijuana plants] outside and covering them with a tarp.”

The revised ordinance states that home growers would need a permanent structure with solid walls that can be secured with a lock and “structures constructed or covered with plastic or cloth shall not be considered a secured building.” Outdoor cultivation is still prohibited.

All of that, however, isn’t the end of the cannabis conundrum. As the city was working on the retailing rules, prospective commercial cultivators have been watching.

Builder Rick Murphy raised the issue of overlap of an industrial zone, which allows cannabis cultivation, and the Downtown District Overlay zone, which does not.

“It is possible for the council to change the boundaries,” City Manager Maryann Ustick told the council. “You need to make a policy decision. Do you want it to be industrial or do you want it to be part of downtown?”

That issue was outside the scope of the revisions the Council was addressing, but the following day Murphy filed a request for a text amendment to make the change. That request is pending and will require public hearings.

At the meeting Murphy said zoning regulations are making it difficult for businesses.

“I always see us writing our way out of opportunities in this community,” he said. “If we tried to do the Flea Market now in the city it would never fly, but it’s a great attraction for Gallup.”

By Holly J. Wagner
Sun Correspondent

Rating: «« out of 4 stars

Running Time: 113 min.

The latest animated tale from Disney is a Polynesian-inspired adventure that lends itself to gorgeous landscapes and impressive vistas. Moana is a film chock full of incredible imagery and animation: Lush tropical gardens, striking seascapes and eye-popping animals and Deities. And without a doubt, kids will definitely enjoy what they see. It’s too bad that the rest of it, including the characters, don’t make as much of an impact.

Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) lives on an island paradise, the daughter of Chief Tui (Tamura Morrison) and next in line to inherit the throne. However, she desires a different life. It involves breaking from family tradition, leaving the island and exploring the ocean waves. Moana gets her chance when she discovers a jewel that has cursed her home. The youngster steals a catamaran and sets out to find the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to help her return the gem to its original resting place.

As mentioned, the highlight of this feature are the beautifully rendered visuals. The sea shots are gorgeous and there’s a bright musical number involving an enormous sea crab (voiced by Jemaine Clement) that really pops off the screen. Later, the climax involving a creature spewed from the lava of a volcano looks equally astounding. There’s also a group of evil coconuts on a strange barge who attack Moana and Maui, leading to a massive chase. It’s a spectacular sequence, filled with images of boats crashing as well as characters running through unique-looking vessels (even if it does feel extraneous, wedged in as an action scene tangent that simply has been thrown in to add some excitement).

Yet, the story is rather dull overall and the adventure isn’t as exciting as it should be. Part of the issue has to do with the fact that Moana sails off alone and doesn’t have any humans to play off of early on. Additionally, the sea water literally takes a liking to the girl, forming around Moana and helping her when she’s in trouble. The simple fact that even the ocean wants to assist her in a perilous journey drowns much of the suspense.

When Maui is introduced, things improve dramatically and there’s some good-natured dialogue highlighting their personality conflicts. However, their issues aren’t anything unique or memorable. The youngster wants to make her own way in the world and the boasting demigod simply wants love and attention from humankind. It may be well-handled, but this is pretty by-the-numbers stuff.

And to nitpick a little more, it all seems confused about what it’s trying to say. This is a story about a girl finding independence free from the constraints and obligations forced upon her. Yet, as she learns about her history, we discover that she’s simply following the exact same footsteps of her ancestors. The intent of message is nice, but by the time she begins to sing about the noble lineage of her family, it all feels a bit weird. Why does the lead character even need to be the daughter of a Chief?

As expected, Disney movies are typically populated with cute animal kingdom friends. In this case, there’s a cute pig and an idiotic rooster. It may seem strange to criticize a movie for not paying more attention to its critters, but they should have some sort of a character arc. The rooster walks into posts and falls repeatedly. It’s amusing for a while, but that’s all the bird does for two hours. And the pig adds nothing to the story; its sole reason to exist is to smile at Moana and look sweet.

Overall, Moana isn’t a bad film. It is admittedly gorgeous to look at; I enjoyed the environments and chuckled occasionally at events. This title will certainly please children, but the story feels bland in comparison to the tropical imagery on display. In the end its visuals impress, but isn’t otherwise very memorable.

Visit: cinemastance.com

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun

Rating: ««« out of 4

Running Time: 133 min.

Five years was all it took. The Harry Potter franchise was one of the biggest in cinematic history, breaking box office records and drawing in huge audiences worldwide. So, it isn’t that much of a surprise that some sort of follow-up was eventually fast-tracked, despite after everything having been wrapped up.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is that new addition. It’s a prequel of sorts, set in the same universe as the previous series but featuring all new characters and a different focus.

The story begins in Manhattan during the late 1920s, with the arrival of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). He’s a Ministry of Magic employee writing an encyclopedia of sorts about the various creatures within the wizarding world.

Unfortunately, some of the creatures from his international collection get loose in the city, drawing the ire of the local Magic Congress. Specifically, members Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and her boss, Percival Graves (Colin Farrell).

Newt and the escaped creatures are blamed for a death and destruction in the city, forcing the hero to hurriedly collect them all up and prove their innocence. Helping the protagonist is a baker without magic abilities named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), along with Porpentina and her sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol).

It doesn’t all work, but I’d say enough of it entertains to earn a recommendation. Director David Yates, who was behind the camera on the last four Harry Potter films, returns to helm this tale.

His presence helps to tie together the new film visually with the old ones and keeps some sense of familiarity to the proceedings, along with some familiar references to the past (or future, in this case).

The impressive cast helps tremendously. Redmayne doesn’t get too big or exaggerated in his portrayal of the introverted Newt. His deep care for the magical species subtly and sweetly makes a plea for animal welfare.

Farrell and an anti-magic protester named Mary Lou (Samantha Morton) are suitably menacing when they’re onscreen. But what works exceedingly well are a couple of the supporting turns.

The Kowalski character makes a great partner for Newt and entry point for the audience. Fogler is extremely likable and entertaining in the role, keeping his character affable while making the most out of his shock at the strangeness occurring all around.

Of course, the creatures themselves are a treat. Specifically, one that bears a strong resemblance to a platypus and is compelled to steal anything shiny. The furry little animated character pretty much steals the entire movie, creating havoc wherever it runs loose. Based on the audience reaction, this cute little individual could probably have fronted its own successful spin-off series.

As mentioned, the movie isn’t without a few problems. Early on, the stakes don’t seem all that high and there isn’t a big, imminent threat.

There is a fair amount of set-up in establishing the US branch of magic and some outside pockets of intolerance towards wizardry. One does get the feeling that characters and organizations are being developed for future installments, but it slows the pacing down at times.

And while the look of the film is impressive, I couldn’t help but focus on one strange aspect in the background. During many scenes, the streets of Manhattan look very, very sparsely populated. It doesn’t look like a bustling metropolis and it couldn’t help but stand-out.

And finally, because the villains are put so far in the background until late in the feature, the climax ends up feeling a little underwhelming.

Still, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is enjoyable overall and serves as a decent enough introduction to this new line of franchise features. As long as the villains are more prominently displayed in the future and the fuzzy and unique creatures are given just as much attention the next time out, audiences should be well entertained into the foreseeable future.

Visit: cinemastance.com

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun

Rating: «« out of 4

Running Time: 125 min.

How well do you really know your partner? Honestly, you probably know your spouse a whole lot better than the lead in the new film Allied, but then there wouldn’t be a movie without some kind of a juicy mystery. For the most part, this is more of a pulpy thriller than it is awards bait. And on that level it offers a few fun moments.

Unfortunately, the big reveal isn’t a very rewarding pay off for what it sets up.

Set during World War II, the story follows Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt). He parachutes into French Morocco, teaming up with French resistance agent Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a secret mission to infiltrate and assassinate a high-ranking Nazi ambassador.

Matters are complicated when the pair fall in love. Some time later, Max’s perfect love life is rattled when his superiors (Jared Harris and Simon McBurney) report that they believe Marianne to be a double agent.

Frustrated, Max obeys his instructions but also does investigating on his own to try and clear his partner’s name.

The concept has the makings of a fun suspense picture and is enjoyable early on. There’s good chemistry between the two stars and engaging banter as they get to know one another.

Of course, Marianne frequently talks about how to lie and keep a ruse going, offering some foreshadowing to what she will soon be accused of. There’s also some thrills as the two attempt to befriend Nazi agents and enact their murder plot without getting caught.

Once Max begins to suspect Marianne, the film has some very entertaining and tense moments, as just about every simple action and look comes under scrutiny.

The locations (The Canary Islands) standing in for Morocco look impressive, as do the period costumes. One of the less successful production elements is the overuse of CGI. There are a couple of desert and sand dune scenes that look like green screen backdrops, with one in particular coming across as remarkably phony. Still, for a movie that initially feels like an old-fashioned thriller, the dodgy visuals aren’t a deal-breaker.

After all, how seriously can you take a story in which characters excuse themselves for lovemaking sessions with a sandstorm raging (and a swelling dramatic score)?

It’s the final act where things do fall off the rails. Honestly, it’s obvious early on that the movie is anything but high art. Given the tone, this reviewer was hoping for a diabolical plot to be revealed or a character to be driven mad by paranoia and perhaps take rash action. Essentially, something big and in keeping with the grandiose scale.

Instead, the movie takes a more muted and melodramatic turn. As all is revealed, the rain pours down, the music swells and there’s weeping. It feels out of place with the rest of the picture and ultimately disappoints.

Allied is enjoyable enough when it is focused on generating suspense and isn’t taking itself too seriously as a heavy drama. When it eventually does, it isn’t nearly as effective and falls flat.

The stellar cast members do their best, the movie has a few good lines and a couple of pulpy thrills. Yet ultimately, these plusses don’t quite end up saving the day.

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun