Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
City Council voted Monday to roll back a moratorium on the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes, a step viewed as necessary to avoid shutting Cleveland out of a potentially lucrative source of taxes.
City Council eliminated cultivation from an existing moratorium, but leave in place bans on processing marijuana into medical products and establishing dispensaries for selling the marijuana products.
City Council President Kevin Kelley raised the issue with his colleagues at a meeting last month. He suggested the move to avoid locking Cleveland out of marijuana growing, which could generate considerable tax revenue.
Where does Ohio's law on medical marijuana stand?
Ohio's medical marijuana law, passed in June 2016, allows people with one of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a physician.
The state has been drawing up rules for regulating it. Those rules must be done by Sept. 8. The operation of medical marijuana businesses - growing, processing and dispensing - is slated to be underway by September 2018.
The state of Ohio intends to issue 24 licenses, half for smaller operations with no more than 3,000 square feet of growing space and half for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space.
The application process opens on June 5 and will be closed by the end of the month.
Already potential investors have been working in the industry, raising capital and identifying potential sites. But the state won't consider issuing a growing license for a site if the host city has a moratorium.
For a community like Cleveland, a growing operation is attractive because it could employ several people in well-paying jobs and generate thousands of dollars in tax revenues.
In Boston, where there are two medical marijuana growing sites governed under Massachusetts laws, the city collected several million dollars last year in taxes, according to City Council research.
What are the limitations?
Growing sites must be indoors and the buildings must not be located within 500 feet of restricted areas, such as schools, churches and libraries. The sites will be regulated by the state. There will be no growing in open fields.
In Cleveland, there are plenty of potential sites.
During a recent council caucus meeting, Councilman Mike Polensek noted there were plenty of old industrial buildings that could be converted to cultivation sites.
"We have a lot of old buildings that could be put back into public use," he said.
Is there interest in Cleveland?
Cleveland's moratorium on the entire medical marijuana industry took effect last October.
Kelley acknowledged that there have been a handful of inquiries from people interested in locating in Cleveland. But the moratorium has tamped down interest, he said, and needs to be lifted.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cleveland City Council rolls back moratorium on growing marijuana | cleveland.com
Author: Robert Higgs
Contact: Cleveland.com Contact Us
Photo Credit: Mikayla Whitmore
Website: Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
City Council eliminated cultivation from an existing moratorium, but leave in place bans on processing marijuana into medical products and establishing dispensaries for selling the marijuana products.
City Council President Kevin Kelley raised the issue with his colleagues at a meeting last month. He suggested the move to avoid locking Cleveland out of marijuana growing, which could generate considerable tax revenue.
Where does Ohio's law on medical marijuana stand?
Ohio's medical marijuana law, passed in June 2016, allows people with one of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a physician.
The state has been drawing up rules for regulating it. Those rules must be done by Sept. 8. The operation of medical marijuana businesses - growing, processing and dispensing - is slated to be underway by September 2018.
The state of Ohio intends to issue 24 licenses, half for smaller operations with no more than 3,000 square feet of growing space and half for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space.
The application process opens on June 5 and will be closed by the end of the month.
Already potential investors have been working in the industry, raising capital and identifying potential sites. But the state won't consider issuing a growing license for a site if the host city has a moratorium.
For a community like Cleveland, a growing operation is attractive because it could employ several people in well-paying jobs and generate thousands of dollars in tax revenues.
In Boston, where there are two medical marijuana growing sites governed under Massachusetts laws, the city collected several million dollars last year in taxes, according to City Council research.
What are the limitations?
Growing sites must be indoors and the buildings must not be located within 500 feet of restricted areas, such as schools, churches and libraries. The sites will be regulated by the state. There will be no growing in open fields.
In Cleveland, there are plenty of potential sites.
During a recent council caucus meeting, Councilman Mike Polensek noted there were plenty of old industrial buildings that could be converted to cultivation sites.
"We have a lot of old buildings that could be put back into public use," he said.
Is there interest in Cleveland?
Cleveland's moratorium on the entire medical marijuana industry took effect last October.
Kelley acknowledged that there have been a handful of inquiries from people interested in locating in Cleveland. But the moratorium has tamped down interest, he said, and needs to be lifted.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cleveland City Council rolls back moratorium on growing marijuana | cleveland.com
Author: Robert Higgs
Contact: Cleveland.com Contact Us
Photo Credit: Mikayla Whitmore
Website: Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
