Findlay considers halt on vape shops

FINDLAY — Findlay Council has been asked to put a temporary halt on the establishment of new vape, smoke and hemp retail shops in the city. Legislation to enact a 12-month moratorium on the retailers was introduced to council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, at the request of Erik Adkins, zoning administrator for the city. The stay would not affect licensed marijuana dispensaries. In a letter to council dated Oct. 14, Adkins said the city has seen a surge in the establishment of these businesses since recreational marijuana became legal in Ohio. "Several of these shops have generated nuisance complaints and are suspected of selling unregulated THC or synthetic cannabinoid products," Adkins said. He said the moratorium would give city staff time to evaluate current operations and develop appropriate local regulations. "Approval of this moratorium will help maintain community safety and oversight while long-term policy options are reviewed," Akins said. The request came just days after Major Vapor, 1749 Tiffin Ave., was raided by the Hancock County METRICH Drug Task Force and the Findlay Police Department, on Oct. 7. According to a statement from METRICH, local law enforcement had received multiple complaints about suspected illegal activity at the shop, including the illegal sale of marijuana to both adults and juveniles. Task force members completed controlled purchases of suspected illegal products from the business and confirmed a purchase involving a juvenile. Marijuana, marijuana vapes, THC edibles, psilocybin edibles, a handgun and a large sum of cash were found during the search. In March, council approved zoning that allows for the retail sale of cannabis within the city. Four areas of the city have been identified for the retail overlay, including Tiffin Avenue; Hancock County Road 99-Interstate 75; Trenton Avenue, west of I-75; and West Main Cross Street and I-75. The proposed legislation would limit the number of retail locations to two within the city and allow for growing and processing facilities in I-1, light industrial, districts. The new rules don't limit the number of industrial sites in the city. The overlays provide for "conditional use," which would mean that the applicants would be required to appear before the City Planning Commission for approval. Their permits could also be revoked. Council voted in August 2024 to enact a 12-month moratorium on the cultivation, processing, or dispensing of recreational marijuana within city limits to allow time to enact the new zoning rules. The moratorium did not prevent the cultivation of marijuana in private residences for private use. State law gives the legislative authority of a municipal corporation and township trustees the authority to "prohibit or limit the number of adult-use cannabis operators" permitted within the municipality or in the unincorporated territory of a township. Ohio voters approved the legal use of recreational marijuana in the November 2023 general election. Fifty-two percent of Findlay voters favored it. In September, a cannabis dispensary obtained a permit to make $600,000 in renovations to a West Main Cross Street building to set up shop. Trulieve, headquartered in Quincy, Florida, won Findlay City Planning Commission approval in June of its plans to convert 1501 W. Main Cross, formerly Guaranteed Auto Dealer, to a cannabis dispensary. The site is west of Interstate 75 and east of Pilgrim Restaurant. Another business is planning to open a dispensary at 2205 Tiffin Avenue, across the street from Meijer.