ONTARIO – Ontario’s next possible six-month ban on medical marijuana related facilities was delayed at Wednesday night’s city council meeting.
Five of the city’s six council members were ready to put it to a vote, but second-ward councilwoman Michelle Webb said, “no” to making an early decision about what would be the city’s third temporary ban on medical marijuana cultivators, processors and dispensaries.
The idea to renew the six-month ban was discussed briefly at an April council meeting after President James Hellinger brought it to council’s attention. Council passed its most recent six-month moratorium in June 2017. It expired on Dec. 21, 2017.
But Wednesday was the legislation’s first of three required readings on three separate days. Council can choose to suspend the rules if enough members vote to do so.
With the absence of at-large councilman Larry Arnold, Webb’s vote was enough to delay the possible ban – for now. Council members, except Webb, didn’t hint at how they intended to vote.
Webb expressed intentions to vote against the ban, as she did in June 2017.
“(Medical marijuana’s) no different than any other prescription medication,” Webb said. “If we called it something other than medical marijuana, no one would be having this heartburn with it.”
She attributed her opinion to personal experiences with cancer and in law enforcement.
In her own battle against cancer, Webb says she was fortunate enough to avoid chemotherapy, but she has seen family members with chronic pain, who could use medical marijuana for pain relief.
“I’d rather see them use medical marijuana than be on Oxycodone, or Oxycontin, or something way more addictive and that has a lot more side effects than, in my opinion, medical marijuana would ever have,” Webb said.
She added the high associated with marijuana isn’t achieved through medical marijuana. In 22 years of law enforcement, she consistently saw more alcohol-related issues than ones associated with marijuana.
“In my opinion, it’s not any more a gateway drug than alcohol is,” she said. “We need to teach our kids –just like you would with any other prescription – that this (medical marijuana) is not something you’re entitled to or you have access to.”
She believes other council members may hope to see finalized Ohio laws regarding medical marijuana before voting against a ban.
“I think that’s a lot of where they come from here, let’s let Ohio figure it out first, and then, let something come in … I did a lot of research at the time on the way Ohio was going to do things, and it looked pretty stringent,” she said.
Since the legislation didn’t come to a vote, the decision will be made at the Ontario Council meeting either Wednesday, May 16 or Wednesday, June 6. Council meets at 7 p.m.
Ontario’s first medical marijuana ban ran from September 2016 to March 2017. Before that ban was renewed in June, a medical marijuana cultivation facility approached Ontario.
4Front Ventures promised to bring 43 jobs with a $1.7 million payroll, but the company received a “no by default,” shortly before the second six-month ban was passed.
