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BUTLER — This week the Village of Butler took center stage over the marijuana debate in the Clear Fork Valley. The school board took a formal position at Butler Elementary, and the Bellville Mayor, swallowing her pride, scheduled a public forum at nearby Butler Village Hall to discuss the proposed Bellville weed dispensary. Opposition to cannabis appears to be at its peak in the Clear Fork Valley.
From morality, to quality of life, to school safety, and road safety, concerns were brought up about the dangers of marijuana in Thursday’s forum. County Commissioner Darrell Banks said he believes a dispensary will harm fundraising efforts for an adjacent YMCA sports facility. Several businessmen believe the social reputation of the Village will suffer. And with school officials now joining law enforcement and faith leaders, cannabis opposition is front and center.
Mayor Teri Brenkus, the key proponent of commercial cannabis in Bellville, could not find a host inside the Village for the forum. This week, Brenkus has been on the hot seat. Prior to the start of the forum, informational handouts on the recall election process to remove municipal officials from office were circulated by citizens. Sixty-percent of Bellville residents voted against legalizing marijuana in the November general election. Village Council also voted 5-1 on January 9th to pass a six-month moratorium preventing commercial cannabis companies from doing business in Bellville.
Earlier this week, Brenkus was formally asked to resign by Village Council for “reasons of moral misconduct and appearance of impropriety.” In addition, Village Administrator Larry Weirich, another supporter of cannabis, was placed on administrative leave effective immediately due to allegations related specifically to “immoral conduct as it relates to discipline and grievances.” Both measures passed by unanimous 6-0 votes. Weirich is the Richland County Democrat Party Chairperson.
On the same night Bellville Village Council made the emergency legislation on Tuesday, the Clear Fork School Board passed a non-binding resolution. Passed by a unanimous 5-0 vote, the statement said, “The Board Members of the Clear Fork Valley Local School District have resolved that it is in our students’ best interests to support the prohibition of any business in the boundaries of our school district that cultivates, processes, or retails marijuana. We believe that by supporting this prohibition, we are preserving and protecting our community’s exemplary quality of life and the health and safety of our students.”
After the passage of the school board resolution, High School Principal Brian Brown said the drug-testing program was “the best thing we did in my thirty-two years here in the district.” In 2014, Clear Fork schools implemented a random drug testing protocol for student motorists and students in extra-curricular activities.
Since the announcement of a proposed marijuana dispensary in Bellville, three area municipalities and six townships have passed legislation prohibiting commercial cannabis in their jurisdictions.
During the forum, several supporters of the dispensary alluded to perceived medical benefits provided by the drug. Reputable healthcare providers presently do not provide ‘medical marijuana,’ thus the demand for the state-licensed dispensaries. In 2019, the Cleveland Clinic released a statement saying, “To be clear, there is a difference between medications and ‘medical marijuana’ in the popular sense of the term…. At Cleveland Clinic, we believe there are better alternatives.”
Standard Wellness CEO Jared Maloof also attended the forum. The CEO promises to bring $360,000 in revenue toward Bellville if approved, and generate $10 million in revenue annually. Maloof stated that he does not use marijuana. He also stated that there have been no police reports taken out on dispensaries he owns (Sandusky OH, Springfield OH, cultivation facilities in Gibsonburg OH, & Corrine Utah). “We improve property values and bring stability to communities we are located in,” Maloof said.
Some would disagree with CEO Jared Maloof’s statements about his compliance with the law. Maloof testified to an Ohio Senate Committee on March 7, 2023 suggesting Ohio “Put a stop to hemp-derived Delta 8 and other related cannabinoid sales in the state.” Maloof asserted that “The status quo is children can purchase THC at their local gas station and parents across this state have no idea that it is happening.” While it is illegal to sell or possess Delta 8 products in the State of Utah, according to the Utah Bee, “Standard Wellness has been making Delta-8 based products available for patients since the opening of their dispensary.”
Not to mention, in the same testimony Jared Maloof admitted that ‘medical’ marijuana operators in Ohio were “deciding in droves to sell legally-produced marijuana into the illegal market.” In other words, state-licensed marijuana dispensaries are operating as criminal enterprises.
One of the citizens for public comment questions if Standard Wellness can be a good neighbor and community partner. Benjamin Mutti thinks these issues should be considered red flags to Village Council. “This company is saying one thing and doing another,” Mutti said. “The Cannabis Industry authored the rules now included in the Ohio Revised Code. The text of these rules acknowledge the fact that addictive marijuana will bring more substance abuse, bring more impaired motorists, bring more access to the hallucinogen by children, and bring more mental health harm. Because of this negative baggage, the consensus should be to ban commercial cannabis development altogether,” he added.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in Mark Eight, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
View the slideshow of the March 21st public forum regarding a marijuana dispensary proposed at the State Route 97/I-71 interchange in Bellville. The forum took place at Butler Village Hall.
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