MASON, Ohio — Marijuana dispensaries will not be allowed to open in the city of Mason.
The city's seven members of council, including Mason Mayor Diana Nelson, voted unanimously Monday to approve an ordinance to the zoning code that bans any adult-use marijuana business from opening in the city limits.
Several residents lined up to speak at the council meeting Monday night in a public comment that lasted for an hour. Many said they don't want marijuana and dispensaries in their community, while others argued that regulated businesses offer a safer alternative than if someone decided to purchase marijuana products illegally.
“I cannot accept that we would agree that whether you buy at a dispensary or on the street, that we should accept marijuana in any form," said Mason resident Janice Roeder.
“Dispensaries and marijuana could lead to more impaired drivers on our roads," said a Mason student.
“I instead ask the city of Mason to step up and provide oversight over the distribution of marijuana in our community, by responsibly zoning safer alternatives for our citizens," said Ian Logan, who pleaded with the council to not ban dispensaries.
One of the speakers was an attorney who said he represents a client who has been trying to open a dispensary in Mason since September 2024.
"So what you have is an opportunity to allow your customers to buy tested, regulated, safe products that cannot be marketed to children," said attorney Greg May.
Nelson said the city received "hundreds" of emails opposing dispensaries, while the mayor said they only received a handful of emails in favor of dispensaries opening up in Mason.
“We’re a conservative community with family values," Nelson said. Her statement received applause from the audience.
Councilman Mark Haake said that while dispensaries won't be allowed, it doesn't eliminate marijuana from the city.
Hear what Mason residents think of the vote in the video below:
“This does not make marijuana use, or possession, or personal growth illegal in our city. This says we’re not going to put a dispensary in our city," Haake said.
You can read the amendment ordinance from the City of Mason here.
WCPO spoke with two people who work in Mason.
One woman told us she's happy with Mason's decision.
"I just don’t think that we need to have the accessibility to those," she said.
Another person who said he works in Mason told us he believed this was a missed opportunity for local businesses in Mason.
Medicinal marijuana sales are also prohibited in Mason, according to Mason's Law Director Jeff Forbes.
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