See 56 places in Ohio that have banned recreational marijuana businesses

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Despite Ohioans voting to legalize recreational marijuana, dozens of municipalities in the state have passed bans with varying lengths on adult-use cannabis businesses.

In November, Ohio voters passed Issue 2, which legalized recreational marijuana use for individuals 21 and older. Applications for medical dispensaries to convert to dual-use opened on June 7, and they’ll receive licenses allowing them to sell recreational marijuana by Sept. 7. Since the state’s Division of Cannabis Control said it is approving dispensaries’ applications in the order it received them, there is no specific known date when Ohioans can legally buy recreational marijuana.

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Like a majority of other states that have legalized recreational cannabis, Ohio allows local jurisdictions to enact ordinances to prohibit or limit the sale of marijuana within their boundaries. As of Friday, at least 56 Ohio municipalities or townships passed moratoriums prohibiting adult-use cannabis businesses, according to Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law. Westerville City Council was the latest group to pass a moratorium Tuesday on the sale of recreational cannabis within city limits. The prohibition went into effect immediately and is set to last until Jan. 7.

The 56 jurisdictions represent just under 10% of Ohio’s population, with the average population of moratorium localities sitting just above 21,100 residents. The largest place to prohibit recreational marijuana business was West Chester Township, with a population of 64,830. The language of most of the moratoriums is brief and describes the need to ensure public health or safety.

A list of Ohio municipalities with moratoriums, which Ohio State advises may not be comprehensive, can be found below:

A large number of the bans are set to be enacted for a period, rather than indefinitely. They commonly cite the need for time to review current ordinances and identify conflicting laws. The university said multiple municipalities indicated an intent to study current law and create recommendations once the final state rules for the recreational industry are adopted.

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In central Ohio, Obetz, Marysville and Granville Township have a moratorium prohibiting adult-use marijuana businesses. According to the university, Granville Township’s ban is in place for an indefinite period, while Obetz' is set to end on Sept. 30 and Marysville's is set to end on Dec. 31.

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