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Residents, industry representatives urge council to reconsider ban on licensed cannabis dispensaries
Summary
Two speakers during public comment asked the council to allow a state‑licensed dispensary in Mayfield Heights, arguing regulation and testing are safer than the unregulated products sold locally.
Two speakers during the public comment period urged Mayfield Heights City Council to reconsider its local ban on state‑licensed cannabis dispensaries and to allow a regulated store to open in the city.
Aaron Longberry, who described himself as a resident of Temple Avenue, said he has secured a landlord and a prospective location that meets Ohio’s 500‑foot separation rules and is close to the police department. Longberry argued local voters approved Issue 2 in numbers above the state average and said a licensed dispensary would provide tested, regulated products rather than leaving consumers to buy untested goods from head shops or gas stations.
Caitlin Frederick, a Mayfield Heights resident and a laboratory manager with experience in Ohio testing labs, told council licensed dispensaries guarantee potency testing and public‑safety assays for pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants. Frederick said products sold through licensed dispensaries undergo potency and safety testing that is not present in products sold at some local vape or retail shops.
Both speakers said they voted for Issue 2 in 2023 and that their preference is for a locally owned, heavily regulated dispensary that follows state law. They asked council to allow the city to host a licensed dispensary once Ohio adopts final regulations and permits, saying local control would let the city benefit from tax revenue and ensure safer products for residents.
Council members asked clarifying questions about the proposed location, enforcement of state rules and whether unregulated products are available in the city. Frederick and Longberry said several outlets in the area sell hemp‑derived products and THCA items that they said are unregulated and, in their view, illegal under Ohio law.
Council did not take action on the subject during this meeting. City staff noted that final state rules and implementation timelines are still evolving; any change to local policy would follow those state determinations.
