WOOSTER – The city could get its first medical marijuana dispensary within the next year as Buckeye Relief looks to Wayne County for its newest location.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s decision to expand the number of dispensary licenses from 57 to 130 in April doubled the number of licenses allocated to Wayne, Medina, Holmes and Lorain counties from two to four.
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Following this expansion, the medical marijuana cultivator and dispensary organization Buckeye Relief proposed conditional zoning for a pharmacy-styled medical marijuana store on Cleveland Road next to Wooster Pediatric Dental Center.
The Wooster Planning Commission unanimously approved the zoning proposal on July 8.
“We are not here to judge how we feel about marijuana,” said Chuck Armbruster, chair of the Planning Commission. “We need to decide if this is the proper use of the proposed zoning.”
While the zoning proposal was approved, there is no guarantee that Buckeye Relief will receive one of the two licenses in the four-county region.
Property value and location concerns
Some residents and nearby businesses are concerned the dispensary could increase crime and lower property values.
One such business is the Greenhouse Shoppe, which sits across from the proposed site on Cleveland Road. Owner Donna Feliciano expressed her worries at the July 8 Planning Commission meeting.
“There are businesses and residential housing here, how do we know this won’t lower property value,” Feliciano said at the public hearing.
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She questioned whether it is appropriate to construct a medical marijuana dispensary next to a pediatric dental facility and if the proposed site would worsen the already dense traffic flow on Cleveland Road.
Another Wooster resident who lives near the proposed site, Hope Long, echoed these concerns and asked the commission if the dispensary could be placed in an already existing empty building.
“I’ve lived in this neighborhood for many years now and I like it the way it is,” Long said.
Buckeye Relief reassures residents
Following the meeting, Caroline Henry, Buckeye Relief’s government affairs director, sat down with Feliciano and Long to discuss their concerns.
“Our director of security works very closely with local police departments to ensure they are aware of our security plan,” Henry said. “We give them a tour of our facilities and try to coordinate with them.”
The typical Buckeye Relief dispensary has between 70 and 100 cameras, she said. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has 24-hour access to these cameras.
Henry said the cameras operate similarly to bank security systems, which have cameras dotting the exterior of the building.
“That helps to discourage crime in the neighborhood because you have something so secure with so many cameras and so many people watching it,” she said.
If built, the facility also will have security officers.
Anyone entering the building to purchase medicinal cannabis is required to have a medical card or a prescription, she said.
In Henry’s estimation, property values shouldn’t drop because of the medical marijuana dispensary. Henry said she hopes it will bring increased foot traffic and spark more economic activity in the area.
Benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis
Founded in 2017, the level one dispensary and cultivator processes the marijuana plant in its 25,000-square-foot Eastlake facility where products are shipped to its stores.
Henry touts the health benefits of the plant as a pain manager.
According to a report from Harvard, medical marijuana is mostly used to manage pain but isn’t strong enough for more severe pain that might follow surgeries or serious accidents.
Cannabis is often used to treat glaucoma and nausea or to manage weight loss, anxiety, stress disorders and Parkinson’s disease, according to the article.
It can increase the appetite in those who have Alzheimer’s or anyone struggling to eat, according to a 2017 study published on the National Institutes of Health website.
The same study reported that it can worsen the effects of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and potentially other more severe mental illnesses.
In Henry’s mind, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, especially as science and health experts research the effects of medical marijuana.
“I think in an ideal world, we would love that medical marijuana not be the last resort but would be a reputable complement to what people are using to heal,” Henry said.
Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com
On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie
