Parma, Ohio – Parma City Council will consider implementing a temporary moratorium on the state’s medical marijuana law during its Tuesday meeting.
According to a meeting agenda, the measure will be discussed at the request of Mayor Timothy DeGeeter. If placed into effect, the city would suspend medical marijuana for no longer than six months to establish standards, licensure and rules regarding the cultivation and sale of the substance in the city.
City documents say the moratorium is being considered for the “immediate preservation of the public health, safety, and welfare of the City of Parma.”
If passed, Parma would join a number of other Ohio cities that have chosen to suspend medical marijuana within their jurisdiction to establish better rules around its sale and cultivation.
Avon Lake was the most recent city to suspend the state’s medical marijuana law.
“We don’t want to issue any building permits, change of use permits, that we may regret,” said Avon Lake Committee Chair David Kos. “This law was put through without a lot of input from municipalities. And we are waiting to see how it plays out.”
Physician confusion
Ohio’s medical marijuana law goes into affect Sept. 8. Legally, patients will be able to use medical marijuana on that day, although they won’t be able to buy it in the state and the law is unclear how patients will obtain it.
Ohio physicians are still waiting on instructions on how to issue recommend medical marijuana use from the State Medical Marijuana Use Board, said Dr. Brian Bachelder, President of the Ohio State Medical Association.
There are some medical systems that do not believe that medical marijuana is the best thing until we have more evidence from clinical research trials, Bachelder said. The choice is up to the physician.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Parma To Consider Moratorium On Medical Marijuana
Author: Andrew Keiper
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