Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jun 2017
Source: Blade, The (Toledo, OH)
Copyright: 2017 The Blade
Contact:  http://www.toledoblade.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/48
Author: Nolan Rosenkrans

MORE TOWNS OK MEDICAL POT OPERATIONS

A string of northwest Ohio communities are considering or have passed
resolutions in support of medical marijuana operations while other
elected officials are rescinding past votes that prohibited such businesses.

Samples of marijuana are tested in an oven in Denver.

At least four village, township, and city councils voted Monday
regarding medical marijuana cultivation in their communities, as the
state licensing process for such grow sites moves forward.

The state began accepting applications for level II cultivators June
5, with a deadline of Thursday for 12 licenses for grow operations
with an initial cultivation area of 3,000 square feet or less. Larger
operations, called level I cultivators, can have up to 25,000 square
feet, and the state also will issue 12 of those licenses. Applications
for those larger operations begin June 19 and end June 30.

House Bill 523, the Ohio law that last year legalized marijuana for
medical use only, left it up to state agencies to determine the rules
for medical marijuana's cultivation, processing, and sale. Licenses
will be announced in September.

The Sandusky City Commission on Monday voted unanimously to lift the
city's moratorium on medical marijuana cultivation. While the move
wasn't made for any specific growers, some interest has been expressed
about smaller cultivation sites in Sandusky, City Manager Eric Wobser
said.

"We have had folk reach out," he said.

Oak Harbor village council did a first reading Monday evening on a
resolution that would repeal a moratorium against the cultivation and
processing of medical marijuana within village limits. If the
resolution is ultimately approved, dispensaries would still be
prohibited within Oak Harbor.

The move came after representatives from medical marijuana firm
Trillium approached village leaders about placing a
100,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility within Oak
Harbor, village Administrator Randy Genzman said.

The proposed facility at Lake and Center streets could employ about 25
people when first opened, with more staff to be added later.

While the village of Stryker never passed a resolution opposing
medical marijuana, village councilmen did a first reading Monday
supporting cultivation and for a tentative agreement with Ohio Leaf
Relief, which, if approved by the state, plans to build a large-scale
cultivation site on 10 to 12 acres of village property, Mayor Joe Beck
said.

Other communities are keeping their restrictions in place. German
Township in Fulton County had considered a proposal by Green Leaf
Gardens to open a greenhouse on property owned by the Hackett family
near County Roads 24 and G.

On Monday, after a public hearing with residents, township trustees
voted 2 to 1 against the proposal, Trustee Randy Ruffer said.

"That was based on residents all over the community that gave us a
'no' opinion," Mr. Ruffer said.

While prospective growers can still apply while communities are
considering lifting bans against cultivation, they will have to mark
on their applications that there is a local law that prohibits their
business, an Ohio Department of Commerce spokesman said.