By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — On Monday, council members began the process of deciding whether to allow growing or dispensing of medical marijuana within the city limits.
In 2016, the Ohio Legislature passed a law allowing marijuana to be grown and dispensed for 20 diagnoses. “Part of the law allows individual communities to determine if they want to have growing, selling or any part of medical marijuana,” said Law Director Rob Broeren. If communities do not specifically prohibit it, then it is automatically allowed.
Under the law, Ohio physicians can recommend a patient be eligible for treatment with medical marijuana. The patient takes this recommendation to a dispensary to receive the marijuana. The marijuana can be in the form of a pill, capsule or patch. Unlike Colorado, which allows recreational marijuana, Ohio’s law states the marijuana cannot be smoked.
“We are right in the middle of trying to clean up our community…I’m not against medical marijuana, it’s how it’s distributed,” said Councilman John Francis. “A dispensary isn’t a regulated pharmacy.”
Councilman John Booth said he is afraid it will get totally out of control like the over prescribing of Oxycodone.
West High Street resident Andrew Pike favors council passing legislation opposing any form of medical marijuana within the city limits. He compared it to when cocaine was first discovered; the thinking was that it was an effective pain killer, but it turned out it just masked the pain because users were getting high. He also questioned whether patients who no longer need the marijuana for medical reasons will still want it.
Local pharmacist Scott Miglin favors medical marijuana for medical and economic reasons. “The 20 qualified diagnoses are all without cure and treatment often is limited,” he said. “Medical marijuana is intended for these patients.” Comparing marijuana to legal substances such as alcohol and illegal drugs such as cocaine, Miglin said that there have been zero overdose deaths attributed to marijuana itself and that medical marijuana has in fact reduced the use of opioids in states that allow medical marijuana.
He said that a grower facility or dispensary creates jobs and that if the city allowed a dispensary, out-of-town people would have to come to Mount Vernon since there are a limited number of dispensaries available. “A legal medical marijuana program will benefit [Mount Vernon] medically and economically,” he said.
Knox County Sheriff David Shaffer also opposed medical marijuana. He said he visited Colorado shortly after the state legalized marijuana. There were daily news reports about issues at a dispensary or grow site, billboards that targeted youth with marijuana candy, and the hospitals had problems with overdoses.
He said the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association opposes medical marijuana, viewing it as a stepping stone to other drugs. He said that not everyone who uses marijuana advances to heroin, but everyone on heroin has used marijuana. “I think it’s just too unproven for us,” he said.
Councilman Sam Barone said marijuana can be a gateway drug, but it can also benefit some people and may keep them off opioids, “which we are really struggling with.”
Councilwoman Nancy Vail said she will schedule a Planning and Zoning committee meeting to discuss the issue and review draft legislation. Broeren said that even if the city bans the growth or sale of medical marijuana, a medical marijuana operation could be set up just outside the city limits unless township trustees take steps to ban it also.
It’s ridiculous to think that keeping ways to get weed legally, would lead to more gateway users. It makes no sense if you were able to buy it legally from a store like alcohol, then you would be less likely to use another illegal drug. It’s like saying someone would go buy a bottle of liquor then walk and buy heroine because they liked the liquor. It’s ignorant, manipulative and close minded to think in that way.