Warren City Council votes to allow more marijuana dispensaries

WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – Some local communities have allowed for one marijuana dispensary while others have said no altogether. Warren City Council voted Wednesday evening on an ordinance allowing for the most dispensaries in the area so far.

After passing the ordinance, Warren City Council will allow three marijuana dispensaries to operate within city limits. It was a 9-to-nothing decision with no discussion.

Council members Helen Rucker and Greg Greathouse co-sponsored the legislation.

“Every ward in the city voted to approve that constitutional amendment to the state constitution. So who are we to go back and try and second guess the constituents? They said they want it, they approved it, and let’s make it happen,” said Greathouse.

“So far, we’ve had a lot of approval from citizens. The city of Warren just about voted wholeheartedly in every ward to pass recreational marijuana and so all the council people agreed and we went forward,” Rucker said.

Warren already has one dispensary — G-leaf on Youngstown Road — which has been selling marijuana for recreational use since it was first allowed on Aug. 6 — so two more will be allowed.

“Some members of the committee wanted one, some members wanted five — so we picked three and went with three,” Greathouse said.

The dispensaries can only be placed in areas zoned commercial and will not be allowed within 500 feet of a church, library, playground, park, or school.

Before a dispensary can open, a security plan must be approved by Warren’s Police Chief.

The dispensary can operate between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Also, no dispensary will be allowed to display any image depicting a marijuana leaf or the lighting or smoking of marijuana — though it does require that signs be posted outside containing only the name of the business.

The sign must be approved by the Design Review Board. The outside must also be well-lit.

“Our legislation is pretty basic. We’re adhering to the rules of the state of Ohio and so we will have hopefully three in Warren,” said Rucker.

Greathouse says he knows of one dispensary that’s already looking to locate in his 3rd ward at the Elm Road Warren Plaza where Giant Eagle is located.

“There’s some vacant retail space up there and they are in the process of submitting their forms to the state and they’re doing their due diligence on that,” he said.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Warren Council also heard from two women complaining of a vicious dog on Hazelwood Drive Southeast that’s been attacking people and other dogs.

Some council members said they’ve had similar problems in their wards which prompted a suggestion that Warren look at strengthening its vicious dogs law.

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