Selling medical marijuana in the village is, for the time being at least, still against the law.
On the eve of Ohio House Bill 523 – the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program going into effect Sept. 8 – village council passed an ordinance at its Sept. 6 regular meeting prohibiting the establishment of a medical marijuana cultivation, processing, or retail dispensary operation in the village.
Mayor Cynthia Billings said the village should have such an ordinance in place, with the understanding that it can be updated at a later date. The mayor added that this is also the recommendation of Zoning Director Ray Bednarczyk.
Councilman Jim Sullivan asked what type of dispensaries and forms of marijuana the bill allows, pointing out that pharmacies, for example, can dispense prescribed opiates.
Village Solicitor Ron Starkey said the state has yet to establish a mandated oversite panel and it could be more than a year before dispensaries are up and running. In the meantime, he said, such questions are difficult to answer.
“The bill allows for the retail dispensing of any form other than smoking,” Starkey said. “And the bill allows local municipalities to regulate it. But we have no idea what these little shops will look like.”
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Legal In Ohio, But Hartville Says No For Now
Author: Brian Lisik
Contact: (330) 899-2872
Photo Credit: Dispatch
Website: The Suburbanite
