City Council in Grove City voted Monday night to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in the city.
Council members voted in February not to ban recreational marijuana sales after the state voted to legalize it last year.
Grove City Councilmember Randy Holt says banning medical weed but not recreational weed makes no sense.
The seven council members voted in February not to ban all marijuana sales after Mayor Ike Stage tried to push an expansion of their current ban. Over 57% of Ohioans and almost the same percentage of Grove City residents voted "yes" on Issue 2 in November to legalize adult-use recreational weed.
Issue 2 allows cities to choose whether or not the businesses that sell weed can operate there.
Grove City Council member Randy Holt said the council's decision not to ban recreational marijuana dispensaries last month was a signal that the council is ready to allow all marijuana sales. Holt said banning medical weed, but not recreational weed makes no sense and pointed to the margin of "yes" votes on Issue 2 in the city.
"If we don't support the dispensaries here in Grove City, the people are just going to drive to another city that does. It's not like you can eliminate marijuana usage by not having facilities in your city," Holt said.
Stage did not respond to WOSU's request for comment.
Holt said if the city allows marijuana sales, it will likely bring in some revenue and some jobs, but not many. He said the city will likely only get one dispensary.
Holt also said he expects most council members to vote in favor of the repeal. When the city council rejected the attempt to ban all marijuana facilities, the council voted against it by a 5-2 margin.
