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Lancaster council objects to liquor-license transfer after law director cites underage THC and alcohol sales
Summary
Council voted 10-0 to object to a proposed liquor-license transfer after Law Director Stephanie Hall detailed repeated sales of THC products and alcohol to minors, enforcement challenges and a March 27 response deadline; the objection triggers a hearing before the Division of Liquor Control.
Lancaster City Council voted unanimously March 23 to object to the transfer of liquor-license permit #10009896-1 after Law Director Stephanie Hall told the council the location has been linked to multiple unlawful sales of THC products and alcohol to minors.
“Serious concerns regarding illegal activities at the location in question, specifically the unlawful sale of THC products and alcohol to minors,” Hall said, citing incidents in 2024 and 2025 that involved a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. Hall said the city has found additional enforcement obstacles because clerks at the business often lack complete employee records, including Social Security numbers, which has frustrated prosecution and follow-up.
Hall said the Major Crimes Unit and Lancaster High School Principal Burray confirmed that students caught with electronic smoking devices admitted to purchasing them at that establishment. She told council a council “no” vote would constitute a formal objection to the transfer and would prompt a hearing with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control; Clerk Scott noted the deadline for a council response is Friday, March 27, 2026.
Mr. Bizjak moved to object to the transfer and Mr. Ogg seconded. The motion carried 10-0.
Hall explained additional legal limits the city faces: state misdemeanor enforcement typically allows charges only against individual clerks rather than the business owner, and properties involved in these incidents do not qualify for nuisance abatement. She also noted that seized THC products require testing at the Ohio Attorney General’s laboratory for quantity and potency, but testing is often delayed due to higher-priority cases involving fentanyl and methamphetamine, limiting the city’s immediate enforcement options.
Following the vote, council directed the objection be filed, which will set a hearing before the Division of Liquor Control to examine the allegations and the transfer request. The hearing timeline and any subsequent administrative or legal steps will be set by the Division of Liquor Control after the objection is filed.
