WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) – Marijuana in Ohio will soon be legal after the majority of residents voted in favor of Issue 2. However, some municipalities are putting a hold on the cultivation and sale of cannabis in their towns.
The West Chester Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of a 360-day moratorium that will pause the sale and cultivation of marijuana in the township.
“Everybody agrees that cannabis is really no different than alcohol consumption – if it’s consumed reasonably, responsibly by adults, why not?” says West Chester Township Trustee Mark Welch.
On Tuesday, Welch was one of several trustees who voted in favor of the emergency resolution to temporarily pause selling, growing and processing cannabis for nearly one year.
This decision comes just one day after the Fairfield City Council voted to ban marijuana dispensaries until 2024.
“We can either say, ‘Okay, it’s legal,’ or do it with modifications with our zoning, or we’ll just say, ‘We’re not going to permit it,’” Welch said. “Where they can buy it is really what is up for grabs at this point and it’s whether or not in West Chester we want to permit retail spaces to be used