Salem residents voice concerns about possible marijuana dispensaries in the city

[[{“value”:”Feb 20, 2025

Staff Writer

mahart@mojonews.com

Salem City Council had a packed audience for its meeting Tuesday, with over a dozen residents in attendance, and several speaking against the possibility of permitting a marijuana dispensary within the city and urging city council to vote against the possibility when the time came. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM — Residents spoke out against the possibility of permitting a marijuana dispensary within the city in city council’s meeting Tuesday.

Five residents addressed council in response to a call in council’s previous meeting Feb. 4 by City Councilman Ron Zellers to return to the question of permitting a marijuana dispensary within the city as a potential revenue source. Council at that time agreed to revisit the issue when the decision was made not to reverse the city’s moratorium on the issuance of permits for a recreational marijuana facility within city limits.

All five residents were strongly against permitting a dispensary within the city and urged council to vote the possibility down when the time came for council to formally address the matter. They all cited concerns of addiction, increased crime, and adverse impacts on Salem children and families that could come with the presence of a dispensary and a decreased barrier to access marijuana.

“I’m here with some young kids from our community that can tell you what they’ve experienced in their homes as their parents bring their legal marijuana in the home and the effects of marijuana in their home atmosphere, on the family finances or lack thereof, their parents mood swings, the unpredictable behavior as well as erratic driving while using legal marijuana … I also have with me tonight parents of grown children who are addicted to medical marijuana which wreaks havoc in their finances, mental stability and mood … as a group we are pleading with you to not allow this harm to come to our kids, our families, our community, our city,” said Sara Rossler.

Rossler argued that permitting a dispensary would not generate continuing revenue for the city as Gov. Mike DeWine has stated he intends to increase the existing 10% tax on marijuana purchases to 20% and direct 25% of that tax revenue for county jail construction and renovation, police training, and substance use education.

Bill Barlow told council that prior to moving to Salem, in his career in law enforcement he had seen first-hand the impact of legalized marijuana, and increased access to it on his small community, which he said was “crushed” by increased crime and addiction that marijuana brought into the community with it.

“I’m asking you to have some wisdom and discretion and pray about that, think about that before you take a vote when that time comes,” said Barlow.

Beth Ehms echoed recent comments by DeWine that the legalization of recreational marijuana in Ohio was a mistake, and that marijuana today is as much as four times as potent as it was in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Please let’s think about this, let’s think about not possible but guaranteed negative effects of having easy access to cannabis in Salem,” said Ehms.

JW Linam, who serves as the director of the ROC of Salem Youth Center, offered his first-hand experience of marijuana addiction, noting that before he was “freed” of his addiction by God, his “life was to get high.” He also echoed common concerns that marijuana can act as a gateway drug to even more dangerous substances and said that while he “didn’t go much further” during his addiction, it had “opened the door to Percocet and other drugs.”

“It is a gateway drug, and it is always a stepping stone to something stronger and worse,” said Linam.

Linam said that since Issue Two was approved he had received increased reports of suicidal thoughts in children and even been forced to contact children services due to the effects of marijuana in the home. Linam also argued that permitting a dispensary risked legitimizing damaging behaviors.

“By adding a dispensary to our town, I feel it is changing the moral parameters of what is happening. You’ll be able to go in and buy something that harms people and open a morality to people that think it’s okay, and it’s not okay,” said Linam.

Steven Gifford said that he offers ministry at the Columbiana County Jail and between his two services works with 25 men, and that he had polled them on how they would vote on Issue Two if they were able and 23 said they would vote no. He also said that these men have seen and experienced the negative impacts of marijuana addiction, and 15 of them were there on drug abuse charges.

“The men in the jail can realize the danger of marijuana and how it has wrecked their lives, destroyed their families and lost their jobs, how can we as a community not realize the danger of it ourselves? These men see the damage marijuana has done to them, it is a gateway drug, and many will tell you that they started with marijuana, then they went to heroin, then they went to other drugs,” said Gifford.

Each member of council thanked everyone in attendance for coming to the meeting to share their thoughts and participate in the meeting.

City council will meet next at 7 p.m. March 4.

“}]] SALEM — Residents spoke out against the possibility of permitting a marijuana dispensary within the city in city council’s meeting Tuesday. Five residents addressed council in response to a call in council’s previous meeting Feb. 4 by City Councilman Ron Zellers to return to the question of permitting a marijuana dispensary within the city as  Read More  

Author: