Nick McWilliams Reporting –
With Issue 2 authorizing the sale and possession of recreational marijuana in Ohio, New Philadelphia legislators are taking their own legislative action.
Prior to Monday night’s council meeting, the city’s Zoning and Annexation Committee met to discuss the framework of whether or not to allow businesses to sell marijuana in the city limits.
Law Director Marvin Fete drafted legislation after being approached by Zoning Codes Administrator Josh Matthias, regarding the city’s already passed legislation preventing the sale of medicinal marijuana in its limits.
“Issue 2 does permit cities to regulate both medical and recreational marijuana sales within the confines of the city. It’s really up to council what you want to do about it.”
Fete says that the concern is the potential for a recreational marijuana facility going up in the downtown area, or near neighborhoods with children, or near the homeless shelter.
Most of council agreed, such as Councilwoman Sheryl Ramos, who believes the jobs such an operation would bring in would not be the high-paying positions the city is looking to attract.
Councilman Tom Simmelink gave a different point of view on the presence of the substance in the city, drawing upon his experiences vacationing in Colorado.
“It doesn’t mean that the devil has come to town. Don’t overact. I’m in favor that we don’t need this in town. We don’t need recreational, we don’t need medical. I’m in favor of this legislation, but I don’t think people should be scared to death of it either, because it’s going to be in this area.”
Council ultimately moved to pass the legislation barring operations from selling recreational marijuana, with the only no vote coming from Dan Lanzer.
His reasoning was that council received notice of the meeting regarding the measure less than 48 hours before they convened.
Mayor Joel Day praised the legislation, calling it “proactive” and saying that it allows the city to move forward with “an abundance of caution” with some uncertainty on how the state will proceed with the legalization vote.
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