Medical marijuana permits halted

Sharonville has temporarily halted permits for retail dispensaries, cultivators or processors of medical marijuana as the administration studies how and if they should be allowed in the city.

The resolution passed Aug. 9 by City Council is in response to the passage of House Bill 523, which becomes effective Sept. 8. While the Ohio bill has been passed, rules for growing and dispensing medical marijuana are still being developed.

Safety Service Director Jim Lukas called the move proactive, and the city would seek public input during upcoming meetings.

“We will take a look at the zoning,” Mayor Kevin Hardman said, “and determine if that activity is to be permanent, where should it take place.”

HB 523 was signed June 8, with an effective date of Sept. 6, though details about how medical marijuana would be licensed, cultivated and dispensed are still being worked out. It established a Medical Marijuana Control Commission, which will administer the Medical Marijuana Control Program.

The program will allow patients, with a physician’s recommendation, to use medical marijuana for a qualifying medical condition. The patient, any caregivers and the physician must be registered through the program. Personal use of medical marijuana is not allowed, and it can’t be smoked or used in any combustible way. It will be available through oils, tinctures, plant materials, edibles and patches. The program also specifies that it can’t be made or sold in a way that’s attractive to children.

The zoning of dispensaries has been left up to local municipalities, but none can be located within 1,000 feet of a school, church, public library, public park or public playground. Those regulations also apply to cultivators, processors and laboratories.

While marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance, medical marijuana has been classified as a schedule 2. This means it has no currently acceptable medical use or safety process, and has a high risk of abuse.