Brunswick Hills find no safety concerns related to potential dispensary

BRUNSWICK HILLS TWP. — After conducting research, Brunswick Hills Township has not found safety concerns related to operating a dispensary as it continues discussions on whether to open one in the township. Police Chief Tim Sopkovich said that dispensaries and consuming recreational marijuana on private property are legal in Ohio. "(Dispensaries) have their laws and their regulations and rules that they have to follow," he said. "If they don't follow those, then we'll take enforcement action on that." The state has set guidance for law enforcement on what they are supposed to enforce, Sopkovich said. For instance, it is illegal for people under the age of 21 to consume marijuana, and it is illegal to have marijuana in a vehicle that is not in the proper packaging. "It is illegal to drive impaired," he said. "We probably had one in the past three years with somebody that we suspected was under the influence. We had urine samples taken, and we did the enforcement actions as far as an OVI, but we are still seeing the same amount of OVIs with people that are consuming alcohol." From what Sopkovich has gathered from other law enforcement, there have been no issues with dispensaries. He said a dispensary in Brunswick Hills would not be treated any differently compared to how the police department already conducts business within the city. "As far as what bad people do and what bad customers are going to do, if they're going to do it illegally, they're still going to do illegal activities," he said. "Those are the ones that we're going to go after and take law enforcement action on." Trustee Ryan Nixon has also spoken with Ohio township officials and law enforcement agencies that have dispensaries operating in their area. "The overwhelming response that I have received from the three or four that I connected with was zero," he said. "There has been nothing of note in relation to a dispensary operating within a township. One of the officers I did speak with said that they didn't know how many dispensaries they have in the township because they have that few calls regarding anything revolving around the marijuana industry." Trustee Thomas DeCastra said the township received 30 responses from people on the topic as of Tuesday night. So far, 23 people have spoken favorably of a dispensary, citing tax money and jobs, while seven people have not supported it, stating concerns related to drugs and crime. Husband and wife Ron and Patti Wetterman wrote individual letters to the trustees expressing support for a dispensary. Both residents said they are in favor of it because of the potential tax revenue and because they have seen marijuana help people manage their pain. "A state-regulated dispensary ensures this is handled safely, legally and with proper oversight," Ron Wetterman wrote. "Let's take this opportunity to capture the revenue and support our neighbors who need healing." The trustees are encouraging residents to continue contacting them with their thoughts on a dispensary operating within the township. To find contact information for township officials, visit brunswickhillstwp.org. "I will keep digging, calling around to local townships and reporting what I hear back, but for right now, the overwhelming response has been there is nothing to signify that there's been an increase in crime or any related nefarious activity when it comes to dispensaries operating within these townships," Nixon said. "Some of them are big, some of them are small, so it's all subjective, but we'll keep chatting and getting to the bottom of it." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.