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ONTARIO — Over seventy clergymen sent a joint statement to elected officials across Richland County voicing their opposition to the marijuana industry coming to the area. According to one economic development leader, the clergy letter was the ‘nail in the coffin’ for any potential cannabis company coming to the City of Ontario. City Council President Larry Collins, a former pastor, made the tie-breaking vote to prevent the sale and harvest of marijuana from coming to the city.
According to Barrett Thomas, the Richland County Director of Economic Development, the economic project would have been approximately a $13 million investment, and the 45,000 square-foot facility was expected to employ 33 people with a $1.6 million payroll. “One of the things they (marijuana companies) knew they needed to have was community support,” Thomas said “We did not land that deal.”
“The clergy letter was kind of the death note,” Thomas said. “The clergy’s reasons for not supporting the marijuana company’s proposal were that they did not want medical marijuana to come to the area at all.”
Ontario Councilman Mark Weidemyre was the main proponent for the Ontario proposal and claimed the proposed facility would be “more secure than Fort Knox.”
The Richland Community Prayer Network (RCPN) Coordinator Benjamin Mutti said the clergy did not buy into the idea. The clergy, along with the School Superintendent, CACY Director, and a number of citizen letters were sent to Ontario City Council voicing their concerns about the business proposal. “The City Council heard our case and acted accordingly,” says Mutti. “Despite the exaggeration by the proponents pushing the plan, everyone was convinced illegal diversion will take place at a facility like the one presented. This is about family values and preventing additional substance abuse.”
“The clergy letter was kind of the death note. Their (clergy) reasons for not supporting the marijuana company’s proposal were they did not want medical marijuana to come to the area at all.”
Barrett Thomas, Richland County Economic Development Director
Despite a 2015 state referendum defeating the legalizing of marijuana, Governor John Kasich signed House Bill 523 in June 2016, making Ohio the 26th state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. Legislative authority is given to local government since marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance and considered to have a high potential for abuse. Some say the legislation overruled the will of the people.
“As clergy representing seventy diverse congregations, we oppose the harvesting and sale of marijuana in municipalities and townships within Richland County and urge Councils and Trustee Boards to prohibit this industry in their jurisdictions,” the clergy wrote.
The letter sent by the clergymen opposed the harvesting and sale of medical marijuana in municipalities and townships within Richland County. The clergy listed their opposition to marijuana based on the following determining factors: addictive nature of marijuana, adverse health effects of marijuana, affiliation between crime and marijuana, inevitable illegal diversion of marijuana that will occur, and dangerous message that will be sent to impressionable youth.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in the Book of Proverbs, “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly.”
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