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New Albany adopts emergency ordinance banning recreational marijuana cultivation, processing and dispensing citywide
Summary
Council voted 5–0 to adopt Ordinance O‑24‑2024 as an emergency measure to add recreational marijuana to existing code prohibitions on cultivation, processing and retail dispensing across all zoning districts in the city.
City staff presented an ordinance to update the city's zoning code to prohibit cultivation, processing and retail dispensing of recreational marijuana, adding recreational uses to existing language that already restricts medical marijuana activities.
A staff member summarized the change: “the code update...prohibits marijuana, whether it be recreational or medical, from any zoning district throughout the entire city.” Council voted to declare the ordinance an emergency, waived second reading, opened a public hearing (no speakers) and adopted O‑24‑2024 by a unanimous vote.
Why it matters: the ordinance closes the city to commercial marijuana operations of all types and takes immediate effect because council adopted it as an emergency measure. The change was recommended by the Planning Commission at its recent meeting and responds to the state's changing legal environment for recreational marijuana.
What's next: the ordinance is in effect; any future requests related to marijuana businesses would be inconsistent with the current codified ordinances unless council later amends the code.
