NEW ALBANY, Ohio — The New Albany City Council passed an ordinance preventing the cultivation, processing and retail dispensing of recreational marijuana in the city.
Council members introduced the ordinance on Tuesday. The legislation was unanimously passed it after declaring it an emergency.
Residents attending the city council meeting did not have public comments on the ordinance.
The legislation was passed the same day as nearly 100 dispensaries across the state began selling recreational marijuana to adults 21 and over.
The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control announced on Monday that it issued dual-use operation licenses to 98 dispensaries and that recreational marijuana sales would start as early as Tuesday.
Ohio voters last November overwhelmingly approved allowing adults 21 and over to possess, purchase and grow limited amounts of cannabis for personal use. However, recreational sales remained on hold while the state set up a regulated system for legal marijuana purchases and worked out other rules.
The new law allows Ohioans to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and to grow up to six plants per individual or 12 plants per household at home. Ohioans are limited to buying one ounce per visit.
Legal marijuana purchases will be subject to a 10% tax, with the revenue to be divided between administrative costs, addiction treatment, municipalities with dispensaries, and paying for social equity and jobs programs supporting the cannabis industry itself.
More Ohio dispensaries are expected to receive their license in the future.
You can find a full list of Ohio dispensaries selling recreational marijuana here.