Cleveland City Council is considering restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries that go beyond the rules in state law.
The state requires a 500-foot setback from churches, schools, libraries, playgrounds, parks and addiction treatment centers. Council is proposing an additional setback that’s 1000 feet from any residence district, according to Development, Planning and Sustainability committee chairman Anthony Brancatelli.
“So the idea was to put something out there, see what it looks like and start going through the exercise of deliberating and hearing what that means," said Brancatelli.
It meant, according to city planning officials, that almost all of the city would be off-limits. The law would, in effect, ban dispensaries in Cleveland, according to several speakers at a Tuesday council meeting. So a vote was postponed and council will now consider lighter restrictions at its meeting next week.
Last month, the Ohio Pharmacy Board announced Cuyahoga County would have up to five marijuana dispensaries.
