Findlay holds public hearing on proposed cannabis zoning ordinance after moratorium

Findlay City Council held a public hearing March 4, 2025, on Ordinance No. 2025-16, a proposed cannabis zoning ordinance that would amend Chapters 11‑19 and 11‑41, add a new Chapter 11‑52 to the codified ordinances and repeal Ordinance No. 2024‑81, the 12‑month moratorium on retail cannabis activity.

The ordinance matters because it would establish overlay commercial areas where cannabis retailers could locate; individual locations in those overlays would still require state licensing and conditional‑use approval from the City Planning Commission and council. Residents near the Interstate 75 and West Main Cross area told council they oppose allowing dispensaries close to neighborhood streets and school bus routes.

Bruce Otley, superintendent of Liberty Benton Local Schools, said he opposes dispensaries near his district and raised concerns about students encountering THC products: "I do not want my students driving past a cannabis dispensary to and from school and walking past it on their way home," Otley said.…