MARYSVILLE, Ohio — The Marysville City Council is considering a resolution Monday night which would put a temporary moratorium in place on issuing and processing permits for recreational marijuana businesses.
The resolution being considered is set to expire at the end of 2024. It could also be lifted sooner or extended if the council deems fit.
Communities around the state have put similar temporary moratoriums in place. Xenia, Newark and Centerville are just a handful of cities where temporary moratoriums are now in place.
Some of the reasoning behind these moratoriums is that if a business looking to sell or grow recreational marijuana in a community applies for a permit, there isn’t any guidance on how to regulate that until the state decides its rules later this year. Marysville City Councilman Scott Hunter said it’s an example of not putting the cart before the horse.
Tim Aslaner, Marysville law director, brought the issue up to councilmembers.
“It’s simply a moratorium that’s effective through the end of the year,” he said. “We won’t issue or process any permits for processing plants or dispensaries or cultivators.”
He said this gives the city time to look at the rules the state comes down with to figure out where they will allow recreational marijuana businesses and how they will be regulated.
“Once we get those [state rules], we’ll be able to start doing the heavy lifting and doing the zoning. We’re going to start this spring by putting it through committee and talking about zoning,” he said.
Jim Canepa, the director of Ohio Cannabis Control, told 10TV he intends to start approving the first applications Sept. 7 unless the legislature intervenes. Those first application approvals will go for “dual purpose” dispensaries. Those are dispensaries already existing for the purpose of medical marijuana.
Grove City attempted a similar moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses. The ordinance drafted up by the city did not feature an end date and the moratorium would have to be lifted through a vote by the council. That ordinance failed to pass.