NEWARK, Ohio (WSYX) — Applications are officially out for existing medical marijuana facilities to apply for a dual-use license.
While voters chose to legalize recreational marijuana back in November, cities can create their own legislation about how they want to regulate it.
The topic is being debated among Newark City Council members. Earlier this month, council members on the Public Safety Committee discussed the possibility of limiting the number of recreational marijuana licenses in the city.
Some members said they believed only the existing medical dispensaries should get those licenses. Other members said that wouldn’t be fair.
“I think everyone on council respects the fact that in Ohio and within the city of Newark, the voters have said this is the direction that we want to go, and we are respecting that,” Newark City Councilman Jonathan Lang told ABC6.
Lang said he was in office when medical marijuana was legalized.
“We look at medical marijuana here in Newark and expanding on that,” Lang said. “Using that as a starting point is a really good way to continue to have a free market but do it in a thoughtful way.”
During the June 3 meeting, other council members spoke in opposition to eventually expanding recreational marijuana licenses beyond existing medical dispensaries.
“This is new territory, and I am concerned for the community impact,” Councilwoman Beth Bline said.
During the meeting, which was streamed on the City’s YouTube page, Bline said several of her constituents called her with concerns.
“They’re worried about their neighborhoods and these establishments having an impact on their neighborhoods,” Bline said.
There are currently three medical marijuana dispensaries in Newark.
A spokesperson for Sunnyside Medical Marijuana Dispensary, Jason Erkes, said he’d seen similar debates in other states after the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana.
“It’s completely normal for a municipality to evaluate what they want for their community,” Erkes said. “No one wants an over-saturation or a cannabis dispensary on every corner. Competition is welcome, but it’s important for that community to put the right balance for what they think is appropriate.”
Newark City Councilman Michael Houser said he believes balance is respecting what voters chose in November, but also making decisions that are in the best interest of all Newark residents.
“How is this going to impact our community,” Houser asked. “Given there being so many unknowns, we error on the side of caution and if down he road we find we were more cautious than we should have been, great, we have the opportunity to expand it in ways we didn’t originally.”
ABC6 got the pulse of the Newark community and asked residents what they thought about the possibility of more dispensaries within city limits.
“I definitely think there should be some type of regulation, especially where kids are, like sports fields or schools, things like that,” one resident said.
“I am not concerned about it,” a Newark resident said. “I would rather have marijuana usage than alcohol usage for people. I am not worried about it at all.”
“People are either going to make that purchase and go to those stores, or they are not,” another resident said. “I don’t think more dispensaries are going to cause more people to visit those stores. But I do think city councils should decide how many per square mile of those types of businesses that they would like to have.”
Lang said that would be part of the zoning process and is something the city is discussing.
“The state regulations include a one-mile buffer between dispensaries,” Lang said. “So the idea of dispensaries being on every street corner is not anyone’s intent; even the folks who are the most for it aren’t going to allow it on every street corner.”
Newark’s next city council meeting is scheduled for June 17. Council members told ABC6 licensing would be up for discussion again.
“We are having some very thoughtful and considerate debates, and I think at the end of the day, we are going to end up with some good legislation that is well thought out, that maybe not everyone agrees on, but everyone is comfortable and it provides the right checks and balances in Newark,” Lang said.
Other Central Ohio cities are also working through possibly creating their own regulations for recreational marijuana. Westerville is discussing putting a moratorium on recreational marijuana sales. The city slated to have a work session Tuesday June 11 to continue the conversation.
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