One Greater Akron cannabis event weeded out, but another planned for July still a go

The organizer of a cannabis-themed event planned for Aug. 31 at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Tallmadge said in an emailed statement Tuesday it will "pursue all possible claims" against the Summit County Agricultural Society for pulling out of a contract.

Meanwhile, an unrelated cannabis-themed event in Springfield Township is proceeding as planned in July after what organizers say was a successful event on private property in April.

In an emailed statement from a Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, law office, Zick Pro LLC said the Summit County Agricultural Society (SCAS) had breached a contract between the two parties.

"Our client did their due diligence, contracted with the appropriate authorities, invested countless hours into securing vendors, and invested substantial time, effort, and resources in the preparation of the Festival pursuant to the contract our client had with SCAS," the statement said.

The agricultural society declined to comment.

The fairgrounds event had been planned for Aug. 31 and had been publicized since Jan. 23 by Zick on its Ohio Cannabis Festival Facebook page. The company is also organizing events in Pennsylvania and Florida.

In a June 10 post, however, the company said the event had been cancelled.

'Disheartening news' about Fairgrounds cannabis event

"We have some disheartening news as the Summit County Agricultural Society (SCAS) has decided to cancel the upcoming Ohio Cannabis Festival contracted to be held August 31 - September 1 in a statement received by mail to organizers," the event's promoter said. "This breach of contract was in accordance with City and County officials' direction who cited ownership of the land, our commercial speech and state law."

The Summit County Fairgrounds is owned by the county, and marijuana-themed events are not permitted on public property despite the state's adult-use law.

Greta Johnson, Summit County director of communications and assistant chief of staff for County Executive Ilene Shapiro, said Monday that county attorneys became aware of the planned event and notified the Agricultural Society.

"We informed the [SCAS] board about what the law in the state of Ohio is," she said. "The scheduled events and … the purpose of the event does not align with state law."

In a board meeting June 3, the Agricultural Society terminated the contract with the organizer.

Zick said in its Facebook post that it was unaware that the land was publicly owned.

"Our team worked very hard for the past 6 months cultivating a full production due the reliance and misrepresentation made by SCAS," Zick said. "In May we found out the grounds are in fact not owned by SCAS."

A 'cannabis-friendly party' at water park in Springfield Township

Another cannabis event, planned for July 12 at Kim Tam Park in Springfield Township, is still on after what organizers called a successful April 20 event at the park.

The park is privately owned, and the July 12 event will abide by state law, said Anthony Paulina, marketing director for Toke and Float, a Uniontown events organizer.

The earlier event was designed to educate cannabis-curious individuals on the law and how to cultivate marijuana.

Pot 101: Kim Tam Park in Springfield Twp. to host marijuana-themed event for home growers on 4/20

The event next month will have more of an entertainment edge.

"That was an educational conference," Paulina said. "This is a fun, adult, cannabis-friendly party."

Police will be present to help provide security, he said.

The event will include food trucks, cannabis cultivating equipment, and a movie showing, he said.

Jeremy Caudill, owner of Kim Tam and a Springfield Township trustee, said turnout for the April event skewed toward older adults.

The July event, Paulina said, will probably attract a mix of young and old.

Parking issues that surfaced at the last event have been addressed, with a shuttle service being considered for those who have to park at a distance.

Admission is $30 with a $5 parking fee; a VIP admission is $75. The event website is tokeandfloat420.com.

"We're trying to break the stigma of the cannabis industry," Paulina said. "If you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, you're doing something that's worse, in my opinion, than marijuana."

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or Facebook at www.facebook.com/alan.newsman.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County Fairgrounds cannabis event canceled