Two marijuana advocates urged City Council on Thursday night to consider allowing a cannabis dispensary in Ocean City, but immediately faced strong opposition from members of the governing body.
“I’ll die before I’ll vote for recreational marijuana in Ocean City,” Councilman Michael DeVlieger said.
DeVlieger noted he does not oppose medical marijuana patients using the drug in the privacy of their own homes, but made it clear he is against having a pot dispensary in town.
“It’s a very slippery slope, and I don’t want it here,” he said. “And that goes for dispensaries as well.”
Agreeing with DeVlieger, Councilman Bob Barr insisted there was “no way” he would support the recreational use of marijuana or a dispensary in Ocean City.
“I don’t want a dispensary here or anything like that,” Barr said.
Barr expressed fear that marijuana users would simply begin smoking pot in popular tourist areas of town, such as the boardwalk and beaches, if the city did not block dispensaries from opening up.