Hubbard Council opens door to medical-marijuana dispensaries

June 21, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

HUBBARD

Hubbard officials have opened the door to medical-marijuana dispensaries.

City council voted 5-2 Monday night to allow them in the city. Mayor John Darko signed the ordinance Tuesday, and it took effect immediately.

Ohio dispensaries will distribute marijuana to people with certain medical conditions, including cancer, chronic panic and Alzheimer’s disease.

Council originally proposed a ban on all medical-marijuana businesses within the city, but it decided to amend that legislation after hearing a presentation from a prospective dispensary that would be operated by Hubbard natives.

Terrie and Trina Rich, owners of Om Yoga Studio and Healthy Balance Center, hope to open a dispensary in Hubbard.

The plans are not set in stone, however. They still need a license from the state and the licensing process is competitive.

Under the Hubbard ordinance, the cultivators that grow medical marijuana and the processors that refine it are still prohibited. Violation of the prohibition is punishable as a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

Councilman Benjamin Kyle, D-1st, and Councilman Patton Gilliland, D-at-large, voted against the revised ordinance.

Kyle said he supports medical marijuana, but believes additional regulations are needed at the local level. He cited medical-marijuana rules adopted by the city of Canton, as an example.

In other business, council approved a pay raise for the police department’s two part-time clerks from $10 to $10.50 hourly.