Maumee council discusses ordinance 26-2025 on cannabis sales; staff urges waiting on state rules

The Maumee City Council discussed proposed ordinance 26-2025, which addresses local regulation of marijuana sales, during its Sept. 15 meeting, with council members questioning whether to adopt a new ordinance or extend a prior moratorium while awaiting state rules.

Councilman Ziss raised the issue, noting that a similar ordinance approved in 2023 included a provision for a six-month extension and asking whether research had been done and why the council was considering a new ordinance instead of extending the prior moratorium. "We recently had approved an ordinance that's almost the exact same in 2023 that also had a provision for a 6 month extension," Ziss said. "I'm wondering if any of that research was done and why we're doing a new ordinance as opposed to doing the 6 month extension."

City staff member Allen responded that the earlier moratorium was adopted before the state finalized its marijuana regulations and that the city has been waiting for the state to complete its rulemaking. "We're really still waiting for the state to finalize all their regulations so we can determine what our best course of action is," Allen said. He added that one option would be to prohibit certain activity, but that the council needs public and council input before choosing that path.

Allen also told the council that state changes have added retail sale as a new component and have influenced the local marketplace. "Obviously, the retail sale was an added component ... the last medical provider pulled out because Michigan really is overtaking the market anyways. And even the medical people go there instead of using their Ohio medical cards," he said.

Council member Casselman Poffenberg said the state regulatory changes have been iterative but indicated they appear far enough along for the city to begin more formal consideration. "They're making different rules and regulations. So we are waiting kinda on their finalization, but I think they're far enough along that we can probably go forward with trying to determine what we wanna do here as a city," she said.

Council members discussed options including a temporary extension, adopting a new ordinance, or prohibiting certain activities outright. Allen noted limits on local action when pressed: "We couldn't put a permanent moratorium on. We couldn't put a prohibition on, you know, that would be 1 option." He also said that a moratorium "can be lifted at any time."

At the close of the discussion a council member queried whether the matter should be set for a hearing with the Public Information Committee; the suggestion to have the committee hold a hearing was raised during the meeting. The agenda for the session was approved as revised after the council agreed to remove item 9B.

Next steps were not formally recorded as a motion in the transcript excerpt; council members indicated they expect further research, public input and committee consideration before taking a formal vote on ordinance 26-2025.