Pubdate: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 Source: Dayton Daily News (OH) Copyright: 2015 Dayton Daily News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/7JXk4H3l Website: http://www.daytondailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/120 Author: Ed Richter MIDDLETOWN EXPLORES OPTIONS TO STOP MARIJUANA SITE Growing Facility One of 10 Linked to Ballot Initiative. MIDDLETOWN - A day after Moraine was removed from the list of potential sites for a 100,000square-foot indoor marijuana growing facility, Middletown city officials said they are still exploring all options to stop one from going there, too. City officials were taken by surprise when ResponsibleOhio announced that Middletown would be one of 10 sites across Ohio for proposed indoor marijuana growing facilities. ResponsibleOhio is the group backing a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational use in Ohio. The proposed Middletown site, owned by Trenton-based Magnode Corp., is on two parcels, totaling more than 40 acres, off of Yankee and Todhunter roads. The land was purchased from the seller by a third party that did not indicate what the land might be used for. Moraine officials, who were not happy once they learned about the proposed pot factory there, sought state help in getting its site removed from the grow list. City officials argued that the Moraine site would violate ResponsibleOhio's own criteria that marijuana facilities be at least 1,000 feet away from churches, schools or playgrounds. There is a church less than 1,000 feet from the Moraine site, city officials said. Middletown City Manager Doug Adkins said it might take some time for city officials "to fully evaluate" the situation. "We are looking at the ballot language and other documentation that might be available to see where we might have options to explore," Adkins said Friday. Law Director Les Landen said he is continuing to research what the city can or cannot do. He said he wants to make sure there is some legal basis for any actions the city might take. "We were clearly disappointed when this got dropped on us," Landen said. "After we decide what we can do, we then need to decide what makes the best sense to us." Landen said Middletown is looking at possible legal options, reviewing the proposed ballot language, reviewing the land purchase contract between the buyer and seller, what could be done through the city zoning code, and what other recourse the city might have if the proposed constitutional amendment makes the ballot and is approved by voters. Middletown Mayor Lawrence Mulligan said the city's hands are somewhat tied because the constitutional amendment process is underway. He said the constitutional process was how the racinos were established in Ohio. "I am curious to see how the other sites will approach this," Mulligan said. On Thursday, the ResponsibleOhio organization announced that it would substitute a proposed indoor marijuana growing facility on 50.8 acres in the Moraine Commerce Park for a site in Delaware County, north of Columbus. Moraine City Manager David Hicks said Thursday that ResponsibleOhio's decision was no surprise. He noted the group "created a negative relationship out of the gate" by not disclosing its product or intentions. ResponsibleOhio, which is backed by deeppocketed investors and a team of political veterans, is seeking to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would ask voters to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes. The campaign identified 10 locations for indoor growing facilities, including sites in Middletown and Moraine, but ResponsibleOhio released new ballot language Thursday that drops Moraine. The group's effort would have to go through several steps to get on the November statewide ballot. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom