ONTARIO – Ontario residents are unlikely to see a medical marijuana facility in their city in the near future, following legislation that passed at a city council meeting Wednesday, June 21.
Council members approved an ordinance imposing a six-month moratorium on the “acceptance, consideration and/or granting of any applications for local licensing approval, cultivators, processors or retail dispensaries on medical marijuana within the City of Ontario.”
In other words, council will not allow any companies that grow, process or distribute medical marijuana to come to Ontario for the next six months.
“We want to make sure we do things right,” said Mark Weidemyre, third ward councilman. “We want to have some rules and things in place. It’s time to research everything.”
Though he was vocally supportive of 4Front Ventures, a medical marijuana cultivation facility that considered an Ontario location, Weidemyre says he worries about the lack of zoning legislation in place. He plans to call an economic development committee meeting in the “near future.”
“We can always redact it (the moratorium) if someone comes in, but this gives us some time to study the issues,” Weidemyre said. “I want to be able to give them (companies) a yes or no answer.”
Council gave 4Front Ventures a “no by default” prior to its June 7 meeting. The topic was discussed during caucus, but no motion was made to put it on the evening’s agenda.
Another unnamed marijuana company approached Ontario in early 2017, but didn’t further pursue the location after a petition signed by 70 local clergy members opposed the company.
Time was essential to 4Front Ventures representatives, who approached Ontario Council and community members in late May with the proposal of setting up a medical marijuana cultivation facility directly across from where the General Motors plant once operated.
Applications to be a level I medical marijuana cultivation facility, such as what 4Front Ventures intended, are due June 30, and applications for level II facilities were due June 16. Only 12 licenses in each category will be handed out.
“This is the only application period that is planned for at this time, however, the rules do allow the Director of Commerce to issue additional licenses at a later date if they are needed,” said Kerry Francis, director of communications for the Ohio Department of Commerce.
The Ontario Council moratorium did not pass unanimously. Newly-inducted first ward councilman Nathan Sunderland abstained from the vote, and Michele Webb, second ward councilwoman, voted against it.
“I did some research,” said Webb. “It’s going to be very well regulated, even more than in other states. It sounds like the state has done its due diligence.”
In September 2016, Webb voted for a similar six-month ban on the medical marijuana related facilities. The ban expired in March.
“The law had just passed when this one (the September 2016 moratorium) came up,” she said, explaining that she needed to see how the program will be set up.
Cultivator rules were adopted May 6, 2017. Dispensary and Processor rules, however, won’t be adopted until Sept. 8, 2017, and the entire Medical Marijuana Control program isn’t required by Ohio law to be operational until Sept. 8, 2018.
Cultivators will only be able to grow medical marijuana, while dispensaries handle distribution.
“We initially said we would not approve a dispensary here in Ontario,” Webb said. “I haven’t done enough research on that to give a knowledge answer on that.”
