Woodlawn council imposes emergency moratorium on retail recreational marijuana permits

The Woodlawn Village Council voted to adopt Ordinance O1/2024 on an emergency basis, imposing an immediate moratorium on issuance and processing of permits for retail dispensaries, cultivators, and processors of adult-use recreational marijuana within the village.

The ordinance, introduced by the village law director, was framed as a temporary pause while the state’s Division of Cannabis completes rulemaking following Issue 2’s passage. The law director said the moratorium would allow officials “to understand how the laws will impact the community” and give council and the planning commission time to study whether recreational marijuana businesses should be permitted, prohibited or allowed with conditions. “So it really just hits the pause button,” the law director said.

Council discussion clarified the moratorium’s scope: the village’s zoning already lists medical cultivation and processing as conditional uses but does not currently allow medical dispensaries, and the new moratorium specifically stops any permitting for recreational-related businesses until the local study is complete and state regulations are in place.

Council moved to suspend rules, voted to pass the ordinance, and then voted to declare O1/2024 an emergency (the ordinance text states the moratorium would remain in place through Sept. 30 as part of the emergency language). Multiple roll calls were taken and the mayor’s position was excused for the meeting; the clerk announced the passage and the emergency declaration.

Next steps: the law director and planning staff are expected to brief council and the planning commission as state regulations become available and as council decides whether to adopt permanent local zoning or other restrictions.