BROOKLYN, Ohio — Thursday marks the first time Brooklyn City Councilmembers are hearing from residents publicly whether to allow marijuana dispensaries in the city.
Ohio is now one of five states in the Midwest where marijuana is legal and the 24th in the country to do so. Even though is legal, people can’t walk into a dispensary to purchase marijuana for recreational use yet unless there’s a medical car in use.
Complicating matters is cities and towns have the power to allow recreational sales or ban them.
"I do support the idea of allowing one dispensary in the city if it is done carefully and correctly,” one resident stated.
As more cities across the Buckeye State decide what to do, some residents don’t want Brooklyn to be left behind and miss out on the money marijuana sales can bring into the city.
“People are driving up to Michigan now to purchase recreational Marijuana, so why not just open up,” Gregory Carson, a longtime Brooklyn resident, tells 3News. “I do
Carson has a medical marijuana card he uses to purchase a topical cream for arthritis in the knees.
“The cream relieves the pain in my knees allowing me to walk. I’m prone to blood clots and I don’t like taking a lot of the NSAIDs”
People against dispensaries say allowing them would give Brooklyn a bad image. Dispensary opponents also worry children will get their hands on it.
"Brooklyn is beautiful. I could care less about the revenue,” a resident who is a grandmother of three said during the public hearing. “I'm totally against it."
Another resident responded to the previous comments made during a committee work session where there were concerns surrounding Brooklyn’s image if city leaders allowed recreational sales.
“Are you stereotyping or labeling those who use marijuana as people with less than favorable image? The resident asked. “I certainly would hope not, as you all may be surprised to know just how many of our friends, neighbors, and upstanding citizens in the city of Brooklyn use marijuana whether it may recreationally or medically.”
Brooklyn city leaders imposed a moratorium, which is in place until the end of June.