Granville Township trustees prohibit marijuana dispensaries but not growers, processors
Granville Township is the latest Licking County community to limit recreational marijuana businesses from operating within its boundaries.
Granville Township Trustees unanimously voted Wednesday to prohibit recreational marijuana dispensaries from operating within the township.
This move comes after the village of Granville approved a moratorium May 1 on issuing and processing permits related to the cultivation, processing and dispensing of recreational marijuana throughout the entire village.
With limited commercial space in the township, trustees wanted to leave it open for other businesses, Trustee Rob Schaadt said in a Thursday interview.
"We felt that there's plenty of dispensaries nearby," Schaadt said. Newark has three medical marijuana dispensaries: one on West Church Street and two on North 21 Street.
The prohibition just applies to dispensaries and does not include growers or processors. Schaadt said board members support agriculture and didn't want to limit local farmers who may want to grow cannabis.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Ohio since 2016, and in November Ohio voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana for those 21 and older 57-43%. Communities throughout the state have taken steps since then to limit recreational businesses.
Besides the village, other Licking County communities have approved limits of their own. In December, Newark passed a six-month moratorium on new locations dispensing recreational marijuana, and Etna Township prohibited adult-use marijuana cultivators, processors and dispensaries from operating within the township.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Township prohibits marijuana dispensaries
