Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
A lawyer at a Rootstown meeting recently described the new regulations on medical marijuana as "The Wild West."
Here in Portage County, three would-be cultivators of the plant are hoping the state will put a quarter of its limited permits right here.
Cultivation facilities have been proposed in three townships in Portage County -- Ravenna, Rootstown and Nelson.
The Ravenna Township and Rootstown proposals are both for smaller, "level 2" permits. The Rootstown applicant is proposing strictly a cultivation facility while the Ravenna Township applicant is proposing a facility that would have both cultivation and processing. The applicant in Nelson in Northern Portage County, meanwhile, is proposing a 25,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility at a former turkey farm -- large enough to qualify for Level 1 status.
Jim Ickes, an attorney for Secure Cultivation, said his clients will go before Rootstown's Board of Zoning Appeals at 7 p.m. Tuesday. If the proposal gets the township's nod, it will be applying for one of the permits by mid-June.
The group, Ickes said, likes the fact that the site is not in a heavily populated area, but is instead in a rural area "where things are typically grown." The property is already surrounded by a fence, adding to the security.
He suspects that many applicants prefer townships because of lower taxes, since many of them are not eligible for federal tax breaks.
The Secure Cultivation group consists of three area businessmen. One partner owns the former Wickes Lumber at 5192 Tallmadge Road, where the Rootstown indoor growing facility is proposed. That person lives near the site. Another partner in the business is Ravenna chiropractor Dr. Phil Accordino.
"This is a naturally growing plant that has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes," Accordino said. "Many of the drugs on the market today come from plants and herbs."
Accordino said CBD oil, a substance that has almost no THC, is already legal in Ohio to treat some disorders. The stronger form of medical cannabis can help with more serious disorders, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis. A group in Colorado uses the oil to treat life-threatening seizure disorders in children.
Accordino said he started researching medical marijuana because he has always advocated natural treatments in his practice.
"I'm an old guy, I never use it," he said. "But 80,000 people in the U.S. died of alcohol-related diseases last year. No one has ever died of an overdose of marijuana. No one."
The Rootstown facility would not sell its product to the public directly, instead sending it to processing plants or dispensaries.
Tom Hobson, a Geauga County businessman, has proposed a 10,000-square-foot building in Ravenna Township for a cultivation and processing facility, which would be operated by his daughter, Claire. Ravenna Township trustees expressed support for the project when Hobson first approached them in March. Later, Zoning Inspector Jim DiPaola said the township's zoning commission approved the proposal for the 4000 block of Lake Rockwell Road. A building hasn't been proposed for the site yet, DiPaola said.
A Portage County businessman who owns the former turkey farm in Nelson, has gained preliminary approval for a 25,000-square-foot processing and cultivation plant there, Trustee Joe Leonard said. The owner doesn't want his name attached to the proposal, and he also is planning to put it into the name of a family member.
Both Claire Hobson and the owner of the Nelson farm talked to trustees in Freedom Township before taking their plans elsewhere.
In September, Trustee John Zizka said, trustees approved a resolution "prohibiting medical marijuana cultivation, processing and retail dispensaries" in Freedom. The resolution cities the need to protect the "health, safety and welfare" of township residents.
In early March, Claire Hobson asked Freedom trustees to lift the moratorium, a request that was denied. A month later, the Nelson businessman also expressed his disdain for the resolution.
Zizka said that man spoke to other trustees in Freedom about his proposal, but never brought those plans to a public meeting, citing a desire to remain anonymous.
"How do you discuss something in a public meeting without using names?" Zizka said.
Leonard said Nelson trustees are only too happy to have the plant in their township, and hope it comes to pass. He said the property is one of the largest in the township, and the facility proposed seems like a natural fit.
Leonard said the property value would increase substantially if the business was able to locate tehre, benefitting both the township and the school district. In addition, he said, Leonard knows people with the ailments who he said could benefit from the treatments.
"Our township budget is $500,000 a year," he said. "Revenue is something we desperately need."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical marijuana eyed for Portage
Author: DIANE SMITH
Contact: Info - Record-Courier | Portage County OH News, Sports, Classifieds
Photo Credit: Seth Perlman
Website: Record-Courier | Portage County OH News, Sports, Classifieds
Here in Portage County, three would-be cultivators of the plant are hoping the state will put a quarter of its limited permits right here.
Cultivation facilities have been proposed in three townships in Portage County -- Ravenna, Rootstown and Nelson.
The Ravenna Township and Rootstown proposals are both for smaller, "level 2" permits. The Rootstown applicant is proposing strictly a cultivation facility while the Ravenna Township applicant is proposing a facility that would have both cultivation and processing. The applicant in Nelson in Northern Portage County, meanwhile, is proposing a 25,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility at a former turkey farm -- large enough to qualify for Level 1 status.
Jim Ickes, an attorney for Secure Cultivation, said his clients will go before Rootstown's Board of Zoning Appeals at 7 p.m. Tuesday. If the proposal gets the township's nod, it will be applying for one of the permits by mid-June.
The group, Ickes said, likes the fact that the site is not in a heavily populated area, but is instead in a rural area "where things are typically grown." The property is already surrounded by a fence, adding to the security.
He suspects that many applicants prefer townships because of lower taxes, since many of them are not eligible for federal tax breaks.
The Secure Cultivation group consists of three area businessmen. One partner owns the former Wickes Lumber at 5192 Tallmadge Road, where the Rootstown indoor growing facility is proposed. That person lives near the site. Another partner in the business is Ravenna chiropractor Dr. Phil Accordino.
"This is a naturally growing plant that has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes," Accordino said. "Many of the drugs on the market today come from plants and herbs."
Accordino said CBD oil, a substance that has almost no THC, is already legal in Ohio to treat some disorders. The stronger form of medical cannabis can help with more serious disorders, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis. A group in Colorado uses the oil to treat life-threatening seizure disorders in children.
Accordino said he started researching medical marijuana because he has always advocated natural treatments in his practice.
"I'm an old guy, I never use it," he said. "But 80,000 people in the U.S. died of alcohol-related diseases last year. No one has ever died of an overdose of marijuana. No one."
The Rootstown facility would not sell its product to the public directly, instead sending it to processing plants or dispensaries.
Tom Hobson, a Geauga County businessman, has proposed a 10,000-square-foot building in Ravenna Township for a cultivation and processing facility, which would be operated by his daughter, Claire. Ravenna Township trustees expressed support for the project when Hobson first approached them in March. Later, Zoning Inspector Jim DiPaola said the township's zoning commission approved the proposal for the 4000 block of Lake Rockwell Road. A building hasn't been proposed for the site yet, DiPaola said.
A Portage County businessman who owns the former turkey farm in Nelson, has gained preliminary approval for a 25,000-square-foot processing and cultivation plant there, Trustee Joe Leonard said. The owner doesn't want his name attached to the proposal, and he also is planning to put it into the name of a family member.
Both Claire Hobson and the owner of the Nelson farm talked to trustees in Freedom Township before taking their plans elsewhere.
In September, Trustee John Zizka said, trustees approved a resolution "prohibiting medical marijuana cultivation, processing and retail dispensaries" in Freedom. The resolution cities the need to protect the "health, safety and welfare" of township residents.
In early March, Claire Hobson asked Freedom trustees to lift the moratorium, a request that was denied. A month later, the Nelson businessman also expressed his disdain for the resolution.
Zizka said that man spoke to other trustees in Freedom about his proposal, but never brought those plans to a public meeting, citing a desire to remain anonymous.
"How do you discuss something in a public meeting without using names?" Zizka said.
Leonard said Nelson trustees are only too happy to have the plant in their township, and hope it comes to pass. He said the property is one of the largest in the township, and the facility proposed seems like a natural fit.
Leonard said the property value would increase substantially if the business was able to locate tehre, benefitting both the township and the school district. In addition, he said, Leonard knows people with the ailments who he said could benefit from the treatments.
"Our township budget is $500,000 a year," he said. "Revenue is something we desperately need."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical marijuana eyed for Portage
Author: DIANE SMITH
Contact: Info - Record-Courier | Portage County OH News, Sports, Classifieds
Photo Credit: Seth Perlman
Website: Record-Courier | Portage County OH News, Sports, Classifieds
