Euclid City Council has extended its prohibition on new adult-use marijuana and nicotine vape stores. During a recent meeting, council extended the current six-month zoning moratorium for businesses selling nicotine vaping products, Additionally, in a separate piece of legislation, council continued their zoning prohibition on adult-use marijuana businesses. Starting in March of 2025 and extended every six months, the similar moratoriums essentially prohibit new vaping and adult-use marijuana businesses from opening and limits what the current ones can do. Law Director Patrick Cooney said that there were concerns about the number of e-cigarette shops coming into the city. “At the time it was enacted there were concerns about the number of establishments in the city and the increase in applications that we were seeing,” Cooney addressed council. Cooney later told council this would be the last time the marijuana moratorium would be up for renewal as they were anticipating what to do in response to the recently adopted Senate Bill 56. “A review of those changes has begun by the administration and recommendations will be shared with council, planning and zoning commission and the residents,” Cooney said. “Currently our code addresses medical use facilities not adult use facilities… until November of this year, when, if this is going to be on the ballot, there might be some changes, so we will see how it goes then. But this will be the last (moratorium).” Outside of Good River Wellness, located at 27101 Euclid Ave. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) Currently, Euclid has two businesses that sell adult-use cannabis, Good River Wellness on Euclid Avenue and Nectar on St. Clair Avenue. The city recently got its first payments from taxes levied on cannabis companies — a little over $100,000. Senate Bill 56, set to take effect on March 20, restricts marijuana smoking to private residences, reduces home grows from 12 to six plants, lowers allowed THC levels, and redirects funds that were originally going to be to be used for substance abuse treatment, criminal justice, and social equality programs, to the state’s general fund instead. There are a number of groups opposed to the changes, including Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, who have started collecting signatures for a referendum to block the changes in order bring the issue back to voters on the Nov. 3 ballot. Cooney said that, for now, they are asking for a moratorium to review the changes that will start next month and that if those are modified or are struck down by voters in the next election, they will come back to council to update them. ...read more read less