WESTLAKE – When it comes to the business of medical marijuana, Ohio municipalities appear to be taking one of three approaches. Some have imposed temporary bans while they await the final version of state rules and local public opinion to coalesce. Others, like South Euclid, are allowing the restricted cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana, at least in part because of the fees and tax revenue the businesses are expected to bring. Still others are imposing an outright permanent ban on such businesses.
By all indications, Westlake is among the third group.
An ordinance that would permanently ban the cultivation, processing, dispensing or testing of marijuana for medical purposes throughout the suburb was introduced at Westlake City Council’s June 15 meeting. A vote on the ban will likely come at Council’s July 20 meeting, before which a public hearing is expected to take place. A public hearing is required because the proposed ordinance technically involves zoning issues.
Mayor Dennis Clough supports the ban.
“We’re not going to compete for it,” the mayor said of the incipient medical marijuana industry. Clough said he expects those who require marijuana for medical purposes will be able to obtain the drug from other locations in Northeast Ohio.
At the annual conference of the Mayors Association of Ohio attended by Clough earlier this month, legal experts advised municipalities the time had come to either establish a blanket moratorium on medical marijuana businesses or regulate them through the zoning code. State rules regarding dispensaries are expected to be finalized by September 2017, with full implementation of all related regulations to come in 2018.
City Council President Mike Killeen also said those who require medical marijuana will be able to obtain it elsewhere.
“I don’t see any overwhelming reason for the city to have it,” he said.
During its June 26 meeting, the Westlake Planning Commission spent a total of two minutes and 10 seconds reviewing the proposed ban. All four members, including Ward 6 Councilman Mark Getsay, voted to recommend Council pass the ordinance. No one from the public came forward to speak against the ban.
Westlake police spokesman Capt. Guy Turner said although the department has not issued any formal endorsement of the proposed Westlake ban, the law enforcement agency supports it.
“We’re 100 percent behind this,” Turner said. He said marijuana is often a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs, such as heroin.
The state’s opioid epidemic came up during a May 15 meeting between council members and Dustin Russell, the Northeast Ohio regional liaison of Gov. John Kasich.
That spurred a question from Ward 5 Councilman Ken Brady about the planned regulated use of medical marijuana in Ohio and more liberal attitudes across the country about the recreational use of the drug. “It seems like we’re going in the wrong direction,” Brady said.
Russell replied state officials are confident they can successfully regulate medical marijuana.
Westlake passed a temporary ban on medical marijuana in September 2016. At a January 2017 council committee meeting, Law Department intern Joe Giersz and Planning Department intern Brock Goodwin updated members on the state regulation of the issue. Council took no action at that time, but said they would monitor the issue.
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