Medina village sets hearing for Monday on whether to opt in or out of marijuana sales

MEDINA – The Village Board wants to hear from the community whether Medina should allow legal marijuana dispensaries

There will be a public hearing Monday at 7 p.m. at the Senior Citizen Center at 615 West Ave. about whether the village will opt in or out of allowing dispensaries, where people could purchase adult-use cannabis products. If preferred, people can send an email with their comments to publichearing@villagemedina.org with marijuana in the subject line.

The state has given municipalities until Dec. 31 to make a decision. If the municipal boards don’t vote on the issue, they are considered by the state to be opting in and allowing the dispensaries.

Towns and villages can opt out by Dec. 31 and then vote again in the future to opt in.

Municipalities also need to decide by the end of the year if they will opt out of allowing onsite consumption at businesses such as a smoking lounge.

The state has approved a 13-percent excise tax on marijuana with a breakdown that includes 9 cents for each taxable sale to the state, 3 cents to the municipality that has the dispensary, and 1 cent to the county. Municipalities that opt out wouldn’t be eligible for the 3-cent share of the 13-percent sales tax.

Towns and villages can’t overstep the state and ban recreational use of marijuana. But the towns and villages can prohibit dispensaries and smoking lounges.

If the municipal board for a village or town decides to opt out, residents could still push a permissive referendum, with the matter going on the ballot. They would need to turn in a petition by at least 10 percent of qualified voters within 45 days of the Village Board’s decision to force a public vote.