MANSFIELD — Jodie Perry wasn’t sure she wanted a recreational cannabis dispensary in Mansfield.
That’s why the mayor asked City Council in April to impose a six-month moratorium on such marijuana retail stores, dispensaries made possible by the passage of State Issue 2 seven months ago.
But after local lawmakers voted 5-3 on Tuesday night against the moratorium — opening the door for companies to seek state licensure for a dispensary in Mansfield — Perry said she is determined to make sure the city does it right.
Voting against the moratorium were 1st Ward Councilwoman Laura Burns, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Cheryl Meier, 5th Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz and At-large council members Stephanie Zader and David Falquette.
The three lawmakers voting in favor of the moratorium were Rev. El Akuchie (3rd Ward), Cynthia Daley (4th Ward) and Deborah Mount (6th Ward.)
The vote came three hours into a lengthy council session. The decision came after comments from 24 residents during the public participation portion, easily the biggest single-issue response since angry residents filled council chambers in February 2019 to complain about slow snow removal on city streets.
For those keeping score, 16 residents spoke in favor of keeping dispensaries out of the city. Eight spoke in favor of bringing them to the city, including three who are involved in the cannabis business in some way.
Perry said she respected council’s decision and also the the will of city voters, 57 percent of whom voted in favor of Issue 2 in November.
That state issue made it legal to grow and possess marijuana in homes, but it also gave cities, villages and townships the right to make their own decisions regarding recreational dispensaries.
“I don’t have a particularly strong opinion about it,” she said.
“Now that we have (council’s) answer, I am very intent on making sure that we become a model community for how we enact it and keep things within the lines of what’s allowed by law,” she said.
“We want to make sure we don’t do anything to derail the development. But both tonight and in previous meetings, they have talked about several communities that have done (medical cannabis dispensaries) successfully in Ohio.
“Those are the ones we are calling to get the best practices,” the mayor said.
Perry said she has spoken with three companies interested in applying for a license to operate a dispensary in the city.
An official representing one such company, The Cannabist Co., told lawmakers on June 4 a dispensary could generate $4.3 million in revenue to city coffers over the next 10 years.
The first thing Perry said that needs to happen is an examination of city’s zoning codes to determine what regulations may need to be put into place, including potential locations and the amount and type of advertising allowed for an operation.
“We have obviously not brought (zoning ideas) to council while this was pending, but we have begun conversations about it,” the mayor said.
“Do we want to add any (restrictions) on top of what the state has? For instance, the state requires one mile between each dispensary. Do we want to do anything different? What zoning areas … those sorts of questions.
“I would expect (when council next meets on July 16), we will be back with some ready legislation,” Perry said.
Several members of council, who have listened to constituents on the issue for two months, spoke passionately about the topic.
It clearly was a far different group of lawmakers than the group that voted against medical cannabis dispensaries in 2017.
Zader said she grew up in a house being abused by a mother addicted to crack cocaine.
“I’ve been attacked and assaulted many times by my mom while she’s on (cocaine). However, I’ve never been attacked by her when she’s high on marijuana. In fact, it helps her schizophrenia brought on by the crack cocaine,” Zader said.
“So I don’t say this lightly when I say that a (cannabis) dispensary is a regulated pharmacy,” she said, adding “a dispensary tells drug dealers we don’t want you setting up here.”
Zader said marijuana is already in the community and to compare it to crack cocaine or methamphetamine or any other drug “is absolutely asinine.”
Akuchie, who successfully lobbied against medical cannabis dispensaries as a citizen in 2017, said his 30 years of experience as a youth counselor has convinced him marijuana is a “gateway” to other drugs.
“I am not willing to sell the soul of my children in this city to the best bidder from anywhere out of this city, out of this nation, so that they can make money and get out. None of them is going to live here.
“Tell me you’re going to give us a million dollars. Excuse me … you can’t fool me,” Akuchie said.
He asked what had changed in the city since a previous council rejected a medical dispensary.
“Yes, I was here (speaking as a resident) at that time. I spoke over there and I’m still speaking over here for the same issue, because the lives of children have not changed,” he said.
Diaz thanked members of the public who spoke and said all council members had done their best to listen for the last two months and examine the issue.
He said a legal dispensary would help make cannabis safer in the community.
He said two years ago he lost a friend who died after smoking marijuana that had been laced with fentanyl she purchased on the streets.
“I know for a fact she was not trying to take her own life,” Diaz said.
The lawmaker said he had visited an out-of-state dispensary since moratorium discussions began, asking questions of the owners and residents visiting it.
He credited Perry’s administration for working since taking office in January to improve city parks and other areas to provide more opportunities for children and families.
He said Mansfield has bigger issues to handle than cannabis, including cultural divides and issues, youth violence and marginalized segments of the populations.
“We’re all going through hard times and marijuana is not killing people because of that.
“I feel like marijuana is the least of our problems,” Diaz said.
Mount said the city was not prepared with new laws and regulations needed for a cannabis dispensary to operate.
“Had we started six months ago, gotten our laws and zoning code updated, then I would say we might be a little bit more ready to consider this,” she said.
“Even if we impose the moratorium, we need to start thinking now about what what we are going to do six months from now. We’ll be in exactly the same position (of) not being prepared,” Mount said.
She said her work as an EMT, responding to car accidents in which marijuana was involved, had shown her the true costs associated with the drug.
“Just one crash will exceed the amount (of revenue) that could, in theory be earned from (a dispensary),” Mount said.
Falquette didn’t express an opinion during the meeting, but issued an emailed statement afterward.
“Tonight was the big vote for Mansfield to embrace commercial sale of a controlled substance or embrace the many citizens and groups who are against legal availability,” he wrote.
“I have personally struggled with the decision. Personally, I am fundamentally against the use, but strongly support the voters’ acceptance and desire in the City of Mansfield and the state.
“I realize many of my conservative supporters have a view to not allow commercial or even medical sale. They feel selling in the open with a brick-and-mortar store front will make it too available and the other side wanting legal access whether using it for relief from symptoms or just to relax,” Falquette said.
He said he didn’t believe marijuana is a gateway drug.
“While there is likely a strong case that users of hard drugs (i.e. cocaine, X, methamphetamines) started with marijuana, I do not believe using marijuana was the cause, as I believe thousands more marijuana users never advance to stronger drugs throughout their lifetime,” Falquette wrote.
