More than about 100 members of the public filled council chambers to overflowing when proposed legislation to place a moratorium on new cannabis operators was first considered, following a ‘call to arms’ on the internet. Council responded by not passing the legislation on first reading, as planned.

Several speakers in the public session decried a possible public ban on dispensaries within city limits, including the owner of Western Avenue Exotics. The shop’s Facebook page carried a Facebook event that started Saturday (see also screenshot below) which included the text:

STOP THE BAN!!! …

Chillicothe City Council is trying to OVERTURN YOUR RIGHTS! …

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR FREEDOM & CHOICE by attending the City Council Meeting MONDAY @ 7 PM (THIS MONDAY)

57% of Ohioans voted FOR REC.

Local politicians are trying to REVERSE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE by slipping a “late Friday” UNDER THE RADAR action to OVERTURN your rights THIS MONDAY @ 7PM Monday.

To show you how SHADY this action is … CHILLICOTHE CITY COUNCIL waited for the exception period of 120 days to take this action to allow “EXISTING CORPORATE STORES” to be exempt from the LOCAL BAN…

Council agendas are usually released on the Friday before the Monday council sessions, as this one was – emailed at 6:25pm. The proposed cannabis legislation in the agenda:

FIRST READING:

An Ordinance to impose a moratorium on the location of Adult Cannabis Operators within the City of Chillicothe, as defined by Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3780, and declaring an emergency.

At the end of the council session, I interviewed councilwoman Lisa Bennett, the sponsor of the legislation as the chair of Community Affairs. She said council is working with city zoning “to bring integrity to our community,” including potentially regulating the location of cannabis dispensaries. The Chillicothe zoning code is currently being reworked.

Bennett said cannabis dispensaries are new to Ohio, and local governments are unsure of how to manage them. The Marijuana Policy Project states what happened in Ohio:

“On November 7, 2023, 57% of Ohio voters approved Issue 2, legalizing cannabis for adults 21 and older…[the] law took effect on December 7, 2023. Adult-use sales began from existing medical cannabis dispensaries on August 6, 2024, in keeping with the initiative’s nine-month deadline for sales. Adults 21 and older can now possess and purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis. Ohioans can also securely grow up to six plants.”

In a neighboring county seat, the Scioto Post reported Circleville’s action regarding cannabis dispensaries on August 7th: “Circleville City Council Moves Forward Delay on Marijuana Sales in City.“

Bennett said the issue was discussed in her committee meetings the previous Monday, and before then. She said she had emailed leaders in the issue, had good turnout in the meetings, and expected to work together.

She said the issue has been discussed for only about six weeks, starting with a request from Law Director Anna Villarreal to address it on October 2nd. Bennett said Villarreal was getting many calls from out-of-state businesses wanting to locate here.

Bennett said she is working with city zoning to figure out how to deal with cannabis in that regard, but is allowing a year to wait for the zoning code to be revised.

She said she was hurt by claims that council is planning to taking away a right, was caught off-guard by the massive pushback, and admitted the moratorium was confusing.

After I searched the internet to see what was being shared before the council session, I spoke to Bennett over the phone to clarify what she had said in our interview on Monday. She told me that she realized she was unclear about the legislation’s meaning in our interview, and that it WAS a meant to be a moratorium on new dispensaries – not a moratorium on any city actions to regulate dispensaries.

A retired teacher, she said the main reason for control would be to restrict dispensaries from being near schools and other sensitive locations. It would not control where cannabis could be smoked or ingested.

Council sessions are broadcast live on the city’s Facebook page, and archived there and on council’s YouTube page (when their equipment works right).

Hear Lisa Bennett in her own words in the article on the Scioto Post, as well as the first of a few public speakers. Bennett discusses proposed legislation to place a moratorium on new cannabis operators. (Note the correction of what she said.)

Find more in the article on the Scioto Post, including a video interview.

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.