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State rules leave little room for new marijuana dispensaries in Athens
By: David Forster
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Athens city leaders are considering rules to regulate the number and location of recreational marijuana dispensaries in town.
But this may not matter much, at least for now.
The state has already adopted a rule that prohibits a recreational marijuana dispensary from locating within a mile of an existing dispensary.
Athens already has two medicinal dispensaries now licensed to sell recreational marijuana, as well. One is on West Union Street near the intersection of 682. The other is at the end of Richland Avenue at the Highway 33/50 interchange.
And the state has approved an application for a recreational dispensary on West Stimson Avenue. The application is from 127 OH LLC, which already operates five dispensaries in Ohio under the name Bloom Medicinals.
Drawing a one-mile radius around each of the three Athens locations leaves little room for more dispensaries in the city’s business districts, as shown on the map below.
There is space for one dispensary on Columbus Road and room for two on East State street past the Highway 33 overpass.
And even within the available spaces, there are restrictions. The state’s rules do not allow dispensaries to be located within 500 feet of a church, public library, public playground, public park or school.
Also, the state is only issuing recreational licenses to businesses that already own dispensaries or grow marijuana commercially to supply dispensaries. This restriction will be in place for at least the next two years.
In the months after Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana through a ballot initiative last November, city leaders have worried about business districts being overrun with dispensaries. In particular, there was concern that vape shops and tobacco stores would apply to become marijuana dispensaries, too.
The proposed rules moving through the Athens City Council were intended to get ahead of the rush.
It’s clear now the city will end up with at most a handful of dispensaries, unless the state relaxes its one-mile restriction. And it’s not certain when or even if vape shops and tobacco stores will become eligible to apply for dispensary licenses.
The city’s proposed rules would require a 500-foot buffer zone between dispensaries and would cap the number of dispensaries in each business zone: two in the B-2 zone, five in the uptown business zone, 12 in the B-3 zone and five in the industrial zone.
The proposed rules will be up for a third reading, or possible amendment, at the council’s next regular session, on Monday, Aug. 19.