Under the state law that allows recreational marijuana, townships have the right to prohibit dispensaries, retailers and cultivators.
Brookfield Township already has an ordinance prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries, and Trustee Dan Suttles said he doesn’t want to take a stance on recreational marijuana dispensaries without allowing residents the opportunity to weigh in.
“Like it or not, the residents have voted numerous times not to have zoning,” Suttles said June 3. “To me, that tells me they don’t want us to tell them what to do with their property. For us to make a ‘We do want it, We don’t want it,’ to make that statement, I think we at least owe it to the public to weigh in.”
As a board, the trustees have not held public discussion about recreational marijuana, Suttles said. Trustees Mark Ferrara and Shannon Devitz did not respond to Suttles’ statement.
Suttles said he had been approached the prior week by someone researching a dispensary and asked about zoning in Masury.
“Quite honestly, they may look in a community that doesn’t have zoning,” he said.
The state currently is allowing medical dispensaries to apply for recreational licenses. There are no regulations in place for recreational dispensaries not connected to medical ones.
