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Akron City Council Says Yes to Medical Marijuana Growers

Akron City Council getting presentation
Tim Rudell
/
WKSU
Akron City Council getting presentation

All five sets of investors who applied to cultivate medical marijuana in Akron won approval Monday from City Council.  

Mike Collins, heads one of the five groups
Credit Tim Rudell / WKSU
/
WKSU
Mike Collins, heads one of the five groups

Council passed an ordinance in April to allow medical marijuana cultivators with state licenses in town. Since then, it collected data and held hearings.

One of the five applicants, Mike Collins of Akron, says even though there were questions about security measures and the like, he believes the decision came to down to something simple.  “That [other] stuff is all state requirements.  What this is about is:  is the building zoned for this? Is this a proper use for this facility?  And, yeah.  Under the right conditions, mine’s perfect.” 

Collins also says it’s important to recognize this is a business. “The reason people are putting a million dollars into this is to make five million.”

The five who won approval locally now have to see if any of them gets one of the 24 state licenses to be issued.  

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Tim Rudell
Tim Rudell has worked in broadcasting and news since his student days at Kent State in the late 1960s and early 1970s (when he earned extra money as a stringer for UPI). He began full time in radio news in 1972 in his home town of Canton, OH.