Grove City Council approves special‑use permit for Stringtown Road cannabis dispensary; mayor announces veto

Grove City Council voted 4‑3 at its meeting to approve Ordinance C1025, granting a special‑use permit for Ohio Cannabis Company to operate a marijuana dispensary at 1947 Stringtown Road; Mayor Ike Stage announced he will veto the ordinance.

The vote followed more than two hours of presentations from the applicant, city staff and more than three dozen public comments both for and against the proposal. The council also adopted an amendment to the ordinance to explicitly prohibit a drive‑through or pickup window at the site.

The applicant, Brian Wingfield, presented the Ohio Cannabis Company proposal and provided statewide and company data, emphasizing security and customer counts. “Ohio Cannabis Company is a family owned and operated group of dispensaries,” Wingfield said, and described his three existing stores and plans to renovate the proposed site. Wingfield told council his company has had no police reports at its three stores in the past two years and said the store would follow state Division of Cannabis Control rules. He described a medical‑only pickup window as a quick, “very quick and safe process” for patients who place orders in advance.

Planning and development staff raised concerns about the site. Kyle Rausch, a member of city planning/development staff, said the…