Fairview Park, Ohio City Council met in special session Monday night and passed a resolution imposing an up to six-month moratorium on the opening of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.
Council passed the emergency measure on first reading to allow the ban to go into effect before a new state law takes effect Sept. 8 that permits patients in Ohio to use physician-recommended medical marijuana. The state law regulates the cultivation, processing, and sale of medical marijuana.
While the state law takes effect in early September, it’s unlikely that any marijuana businesses will be licensed in Ohio anytime soon. Three government agencies are setting up the regulations and licensing processes, and the first deadline is in May 2017.
Nevertheless, Fairview officials have said they want a chance to weigh in before medical marijuana businesses apply for and are granted city building permits or certificates of occupancy.
The new state law prohibits medical marijuana operations within 500 feet of a school, church, library, playground or park. The state also allows municipalities to impose its own additional restrictions on the location of medical marijuana businesses.
“Municipalities have the opportunity to make some changes,” city Law Director Bill McGinty said Monday. “So, we’re going to take a look at it.”
City Council’s Planning and Design Committee expects to hold a series of meetings, possibly beginning next month, to discuss possible additional restrictions on the location of medical marijuana dispensaries and growing locations.
Fairview Park’s six-month moratorium is similar to a moratorium passed by nearby Lakewood City Council last month before it began its August recess. Across the state, several Ohio communities have put similar six-month moratoriums in place until their local governments can consider possible local restrictions on marijuana businesses.
In addition to Fairview Park and Lakewood, Beavercreek, Troy and Piqua recently passed six-month moratoriums on licensing businesses, and Rocky River, Lancaster, Lima and Liberty Township in Southwest Ohio are working on similar temporary bans.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Fairview Park City Council Passes Moratorium On Medical Marijuana Businesses
Author: Bruce Geiselman
Contact: cleveland.com
Photo Credit: Bruce Geiselman
Website: cleveland.com
