Akron City Council has unanimously approved legislation that adds more local control to Ohio’s legalization of medical marijuana.
The Ohio law allows the cultivation, processing and sale of medical marijuana. Akron’s ordinance includes zoning that keeps growing and processing operations at least 500 feet from schools, churches and playgrounds. And it restricts retailers from any residential neighborhoods. Councilman Jeff Fusco says there’s plenty of credit to go around for the law’s passage.
“You gotta hand it to Mayor Horrigan and his administration, staff, the planning department, there’s public safety forces, the police department. We’ve had practically every department here in the city of Akron weigh in on this particular piece. And so it’s been well thought out, it’s been many, many months of research, discussion and trying to find out best practices.”
Fusco says if the state medical marijuana regulations are ever loosened, Akron’s would remain in place.
Ohio’s law will initially allow 24 grow sites, 40 processing facilities and 60 dispensaries statewide.
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