BOWLING GREEN, OH (WTOL) - The city will not stand in the way of medical marijuana facilities. The narrow decision by city council comes as the state still hasn't made formal plans to implement it.
Last month, Bowling Green city council rejected a moratorium on medical marijuana facilities partly because council didn't have much time to think it over. They voted again on Monday night, with the same result. Council voted against putting a two-month moratorium on the dispensaries.
Councilman Bruce Jeffers said he voted "no" because he feels comfortable that the state is working out the details of legal medical marijuana, which the state legislature approved this year.
He said the majority on council was not interested in stopping people from using it for medical reasons and he did not want to add a layer of regulation on something that is already highly regulated.
Jeffers also believes the current commercial zoning districts in the city will be able to handle the future marijuana outlets.
He said, "There's not going to be medical marijuana available in Bowling Green tomorrow. But as soon as it is ready we want our Bowling Green residents to have easy access to it and not have to drive to another city for something they need when they're sick."
Jeffers said if council would have approved a moratorium, they would only have had the power to regulate the zoning. They could only have restricted where the facilities would go.
One local community did approve a moratorium on medical marijuana. Fostoria's council voted to ban the facilities for a year.
