BELLVILLE — To weed or not to weed, that is the question.

The answer is up to the voters of Bellville.

The sale of recreational marijuana became legal statewide after voters approved a ballot measure in 2023. But the new law also gave municipalities the option to prohibit commercial cannabis sales within their borders.

Bellville residents will see the following printed on their respective November ballots:

Shall the Village of Bellville permit the establishment and operation of an adult cannabis dispensary within the Village of Bellville and direct Village Council to enact legislation regulating the operation of such dispensary?

Members of Bellville’s planning commission voted 2-2 on whether or not to allow dispensaries in December 2023.

After conducting a public forum and hearing split opinions, Bellville’s village council decided to let voters decide on the matter.

“Planning commission recommended that course of action to the village council and then village council agreed to that,” Mayor Teri Brenkus said.

“We all felt that it’s up to the residents if they are interested in that revenue source.”

At a public forum in March 2024, Brenkus told Richland Source funds from dispensary taxes could help the village pay for road maintenance and additional policing.

Under Ohio law, 36 percent of the excise tax on marijuana sales is supposed to go to the municipalities where dispensaries are located, in addition to any regular sales tax revenue.

Standard Wellness, a distributor seeking to open a dispensary near the I-71 and State Route 97 interchange, told community members at the public forum a dispensary could generate around $360,000 in annual tax revenue for the village.

Brenkus said she did not have any up-to-date estimates on how much tax revenue a dispensary could generate for the village. She also said it’s been several months since the village received any inquiries from potential dispensary operators.

If the voters approve the measure, the village of Bellville’s council could still restrict marijuana sales by voting to limit the number of dispensaries permitted within the village.

Lawmakers could also add provisions to the zoning code to restrict where dispensaries could operate within the village.

What about the rest of Richland County?

Several municipalities in Richland County, including Ontario, Mifflin Township, Lexington and Madison Township, all voted to ban the retail sale of cannabis.

Mansfield lawmakers voted to allow up to three dispensaries in the city. The first opened in April.