MADISON TOWNSHIP – Madison Township won’t allow medical marijuana-related facilities to operate within the township.
The trustees voted 2 to 1 to prohibit the cultivators, processors and distributors of medical marijuana at their Monday, April 2 meeting.
Madison Township trustees Tom Craft and Jim Houser both voted to ban marijuana-related facilities, while Dan Fletcher argued that the cultivation and processing should be considered.
“You don’t want them to grow it or make it, but if you have the right prescription, you can go over to Rite Aid and get OxyContin or whatever severe out-of-this world drug,” Fletcher said.
But Fletcher was not in favor of allowing dispensaries in Madison Township.
“I’ve had numerous discussions about this with other people, and the dispensaries are – the way I understand it – a problem,” he said. “But I’m a little confused, why we wouldn’t want cultivation?”
When the conversation initially arose in early March, Fletcher mentioned potential property tax dollars that Madison Township could benefit from if such a facility came to the area.
“I stand by my statement; it’s tax dollars that we’re passing up,” Fletcher said Monday.
The trustees allowed the public to present their opinions for about a month before the vote. At Monday’s meeting only one Madison resident addressed the matter.
“Everybody’s against the marijuana shop coming to town,” Mike Dzuranin said.
The legislation that passed states medical marijuana was classified as a schedule two controlled substance under the federal controlled substance act, “rendering it a substance that has a high potential for abuse.”
It also recognized that studies have proved verifiable benefits for “only two disorders.” Those were identified as chronic pain and the nausea or vomiting caused by chemotherapy.
