That number was reduced from the first reading of five dispensaries, one per 10,000 people in the city.
Before council voted, several citizens, including some teens and students, spoke out on the negatives of marijuana dispensaries in the city.
Kristy Duritsch, Safety County of Southwestern Ohio executive director, said, “Increased access for adults to use legally also increases access for teens to experiment with and use illegally.”
Recent studies say a high percentage of users of marijuana products move on to other drugs, Duritsch said. “It is a gateway drug,” she said.
She added based on studies in other states, increased access will result in a tripling of ER visits for children and an increase in teen use. And, Duritsch said, the only people who will benefit are the owners and investors.
Councilman Steve West II said most of the anti-marijuana studies have been funded by “big pharma.”
“The real epidemic for our youth in this country is absentee parents, fast food and not prioritizing academics,” West said. He added there is a “big problem” in this country with prescription drugs, and marijuana is an alternative that may have helped those who found themselves addicted.
John Young of Waynesville spoke as a representative of Grand Slam dispensaries,
