City Is Trying to Block out All Legal Ohio Marijuana Businesses

Ohio is still working on its regulations for its new medical marijuana program, but one city wants to ban businesses before they even get regulations determined. Pataskala City Council officials briefly discussed the matter on January 3, but no determination was made at that time. The suggestion to discuss the issue was brought up by Law Director Brian Zets.

Cities in Ohio are permitted to create their own regulations or choose to ban medical marijuana, according to Ohio’s law, Newark Advocate reports. According to Zets, there is no need for immediate action. The state is still working on regulations, so they may wait and see what happens before making a firm decision.

Zets said, “As you probably know, the cultivation rules have almost come into fruition and been solidified, so you’re going to see 12 large Level 1 cultivators and 12 Level 2 cultivators in Ohio. The dispensary rules are starting to take shape (with) possibly 40 dispensaries throughout Ohio. Where these will be, we don’t know, but as 2017 starts to get going it is something to think about because by September a lot of these rules (will be) in place.”

Councilman Todd Barstow stated, “I think, at this time last year, people thought the president-elect was going to turn out a certain way and that Calvin Broadus (aka Snoop Dogg) was going to end up being the attorney general and everyone was going to be chiefing it up, but that didn’t happen,” Barstow said. “So now we have an attorney general who is a nominee who is very much opposed to the legalization of marijuana, and I think we have to remember as council the only reason states such as Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Alaska have these personal use (laws), some have medical use, is (because) the federal government under the current administration chose not to enforce the federal marijuana laws as they apply to these state-approved dispensaries.”

Barstow proposed a valid question: “We are free to zone these farms, distributors, whatever, completely out of the city, correct?”

Zets’ response to that was yes.

The council along with the local zoning department will research the issue and make suggestions before moving further with any final decisions.