Judge and residents urge Bellefontaine council to keep moratorium on marijuana dispensaries

Bellefontaine family-court Judge Kim Kellogg Martin told the City Council she and another family-court judge strongly oppose allowing marijuana dispensaries in the city, saying increases in youth truancy and positive THC tests are already straining the court's docket.

"We have a high rate of truancy now that's occurring in our city," Judge Kim Kellogg Martin said. "Most of our kids who can't get to school...are testing for THC. It's becoming a concern, which is burdening our docket." She said parents sometimes use with their children and described recent cases in which children were detained and tested.

Judge Martin and other public speakers tied those court observations to a plea that the council not lift a moratorium on dispensaries. A resident, Howard (address given for the record), told the council a proposed location at 6833 North Interchange would be a "terrible location" at the north entrance to town and said a dispensary would send a poor message to youth. Tom Reynolds, a court-appointed special advocate (CASA), described families harmed by parental drug use and said past ease of obtaining medical marijuana cards had complicated court oversight.

Council members learned earlier this month that the Rules Committee reviewed a request to repeal the city's moratorium on dispensaries and recommended keeping it in place. The committee said it prefers to wait for zoning rules and for other municipalities' experience before changing local policy.

The public comments and the Rules Committee recommendation together left the council with no immediate vote to lift the moratorium; the president directed related citizen concerns to appropriate committees for follow-up.

The council did not take formal action to change the moratorium during the meeting.