Residents Speak Out Against Cannabis; Everyone Stays Silent On Alcohol

As Troy considers cannabis regulations, alcohol finds another home downtown.

The legislative highlights of Monday’s meeting was certainly Council’s decision to consider a pair of ordinances that would have permitted one medical and one recreational cannabis dispensary in the city’s B-4, Highway Business District. Note: The pair of ordinances will be the subject of a City Council Committee of the Whole meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at the City Building.

But, perhaps the most consequential decision that Council made at Monday’s meeting was the approval of a TREX Liquor Permit that will allow another alcohol retail establishment to set up shop downtown. This time, in a building right across the street from a church on South Walnut Street.

The TREX permit was needed because there are no more available permits in our community for the type of liquor service that was going to be provided; the on-premise consumption of beer, mixed beverages and liquor until 1AM. There are no more permits in our community because those permits are already either being used or are otherwise spoken for. Under state law, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control allows an open liquor permit to be transferred from one community to another, if the local community considers it an “economic development” project, under the TREX permit provisions.

And that is what happened Monday night. City Council, looked at the potential of four created jobs with an estimated income tax revenue of $2,000 per year and believed that another alcohol establishment is exactly what a largely residential street in downtown needed. The TREX permit was unanimously approved without discussion. Even, Council Member Twiss, who is reticent on alcohol related issues, voted in favor of the permit.

It is with this backdrop, that a handful of citizens came forward and forcefully spoke against the cannabis dispensary legislation that was on offer for City Council to deliberate. Our neighbors came forward and talked about the addictive properties of cannabis, how cannabis use can destroy families, and how cannabis is associated with other illegal activities.

Of course, the exact same arguments could be made for alcohol.

Ask anyone in law enforcement and social work, alcohol is highly addictive, it can destroy families and is often a gateway to other illegal activities. It’s not a stretch to say many of these individuals, especially in law enforcement, would much rather deal with someone who is high on cannabis, rather than drunk.

Yet, our community not only tolerates alcohol, we almost welcome it with open arms. Our community welcomes it so much that we allow individuals with open containers to walk our downtown streets every day, and our community will literally bend over backwards to permit more alcoholic establishments downtown when as little as four hospitality jobs and $2,000 in tax revenues are created.

As much as the process for City Council to get this point in the cannabis discussion has been long, the City Council deserves credit. The council has proven that they are willing to listen to the voices of our friends and neighbors and create solutions that hopefully can be accepted by the community. Furthermore, City Council has been clear, they don’t want cannabis dispensaries downtown, but they are willing to at least consider having one in the least desirable business district in the community.

This approach has been infinitely more productive than what was originally presented by the City Administration; let’s not forget, there were people in the city building that wanted to rush a complete ban on these dispensaries with little, if any, public comment.

The work that has been done by the City Council on this topic has been admirable. Again, they have shown the desire to listen to different viewpoints and think about the long term ramifications of this decision on the entire Troy community; including those that could benefit from having a dispensary in the community for medicinal purposes.

Perhaps City Council may find that cannabis dispensaries are just too much of a risk for the community and may decide that the community’s values are jeopardized when allowing a dispensary in the city’s highway business district.

And if the Council makes that decision, so be it. But, if such a decision is made, perhaps it would also be in the best interest of our community’s values to rethink our policies with alcohol, especially when it comes to our historic downtown district. Downtown already has the open container DORA district and many alcohol related establishments in which students and children walk in front of every day.

Let’s face it, someone that over-indulges at a downtown drinking establishment is going to have more potential to do more harm to our town than someone purchasing a tested cannabis product from a clean and safe dispensary out by the highway.

Tell me again, which substance is more detrimental to our community?

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