West Chester Township bans marijuana sale, cultivation ahead of new law taking effect
Marijuana in Ohio will soon be legal after the majority of residents voted in favor of Issue 2. However, some municipalities are putting a hold on the cultivation and sale of cannabis in their towns.
The West Chester Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of a 360-day moratorium that will pause the sale and cultivation of marijuana in the township.
“Everybody agrees that cannabis is really no different than alcohol consumption − if it’s consumed reasonably, responsibly by adults, why not?” says West Chester Township Trustee Mark Welch.
On Tuesday, Welch was one of several trustees who voted in favor of the emergency resolution to temporarily pause selling, growing and processing cannabis for nearly one year.
This decision comes just one day after the Fairfield City Council voted to ban marijuana dispensaries until 2024. Colerain Township banned retail marijuana shops before Election Day.
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“We can either say, ‘Okay, it’s legal,’ or do it with modifications with our zoning, or we’ll just say, ‘We’re not going to permit it,’” Welch said. “Where they can buy it is really what is up for grabs at this point and it’s whether or not in West Chester we want to permit retail spaces to be used for recreational marijuana.”
Welch says the board of trustees needs time to figure out how it can be safely sold, who would be selling it, and whether sellers would be required to undergo a background check similar to the process of someone requesting a liquor license.
“If you’re a user of cannabis, the worst thing I think you can do is get it off the street from somebody you don’t know and it’s laced with fentanyl,” said Welch. “I’d rather see it sold in a regulated environment where we’ve crossed our T’s, we’ve dotted our I’s, and we know exactly where this stuff comes from and it’s all packaged and clean and it’s gummied. You can get gummies or smoke it or whatever you want.”
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Welch said the moratorium will allow township officials to see where dispensaries could be established and how far they would be from school establishments.
He added that many vape shops are popping up, and he does not want that same thing to happen with dispensaries.
It is a wait-and-see kind of thing, Welch said.
The Board of Trustees will reevaluate after 360 days and if that is not enough time, then they will add another 180 days, he said.
Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: West Chester bars marijuana sales before Issue 2 goes into effect
