South Lebanon council approves ordinance blocking retail cannabis dispensaries

The South Lebanon City Council voted May 15 to adopt Ordinance 2025-11, a zoning text amendment that prohibits retail cannabis dispensaries in the city.

The vote came at the council's second reading of the ordinance. Andrew Myers, the departing city law director, explained the procedural threshold for overruling the planning commission: council would need five of six votes to overturn the commission’s recommendation; otherwise a majority vote follows the planning commission recommendation. The motion to approve the ordinance passed on the floor vote recorded as yes by the council members present.

The change means the city will not permit storefront dispensaries under the newly adopted zoning text amendment; council members said the result “boils down to” no dispensaries in South Lebanon. The ordinance was approved by a recorded roll-call vote on May 15.

Council discussion focused on the procedural explanation of votes and on completing the second reading; no amendments to the ordinance text were recorded during the session.

The action was taken during the council’s regular meeting and will be reflected in the city’s zoning code as amended by Ordinance 2025-11.