Working On Marijuana Proposal

Westerville Economic Development Director Rachel Ray, left, and Law Director Andrew Winkle at the city council work session.

City Council Work Session

The Westerville City Council met Tuesday in a work session to discuss a proposed resolution that would temporarily ban the issuing of permits for the cultivation, processing, and retail dispensing of adult-use cannabis within city limits. The session was intended to help the council learn more about how a proposed state law governing marijuana regulation would affect the city.

The proposed emergency resolution is designed to allow the city sufficient time to study any Ohio law that could impact the sale of marijuana. This law would be determined by the legislature after the passage of voter-initiated statute State Issue 2, which legalized adult use of cannabis. The resolution, if approved, would be in effect until the first council meeting of the year, which is scheduled for January 7, 2025.

The council heard from Westerville Law Director Andrew Winkle, at right in the above photo, who explained that state law has yet to be written. Any decision on the resolution would need to consider the unknown implications of the legislation that may be passed by the legislature.

He told the council there are three things to consider when passing the resolution.