CELORON – Celoron Village Board members have decided not to rescind a local law opting out of cannabis sales or on-site consumption in the village.

The board hosted a packed public hearing in September 2025. In the ensuing months, village officials have been deciding whether or not to rescind a local law that was implemented in 2021 when the state opened a window for local governments to decide whether or not to allow cannabis sales and consumption.

Celoron officials affirmed their earlier opt/out during a December meeting.

Mayor Scott Schrecengost said the decision to keep the local law came from the overwhelming response from local residents both at, and since, the September meeting. During the September meeting, a petition was presented to Schrencengost by the community residents which had 63 signatures against the allowance of cannabis sales in the village. This brought the total number of signatures at the time to 99, with Schrecengost having stated that the number is now more than 100. At the meeting in December, following the decision to keep the law in place, resident Chuck Ellis proposed potentially trying to limit cannabis dispensaries to the village’s industrial district. Schrecengost said this would not be a possibility because it would be considered spot zoning and open the village up to potential legal action. Mary Keeney, a village resident and former Village Board member, thanked the board for keeping cannabis sales out of the area.

Schrecengost said the idea was initially considered due to the village officials’ ongoing search to fill the empty property across from the park. With many recent businesses in the village having struggled to reach a point of sustainability, some board members believed that a cannabis dispensary may be the more sustainable long-term solution. At the September meeting, it was discussed that a dispensary would likely bring a specific customer base consistently and therefore provide additional taxes to the village. Schrecengost said the board remained split on the decision during deliberations.

Cannabis Attorney Thomas G. Spanos had been present at the public hearing in September, and had been an advocate for the rescinding of the law. Spanos stated that he is always happy to engage in a discussion with a municipality on the topic of cannabis sales. While the law was not ultimately overturned, Spanos noted how new this is to many and stated the hope to continue educating people on the benefits that cannabis, and its sales, can bring.

“I just want to make sure that these types of decisions are made based on the facts, not just based on feelings. Feelings are important, but we also need to be basing our decisions, especially those for our communities, on facts,” said Spanos. “If people really want this in their community in the future, and we really want to make this financial argument stronger, the answer is to support their local dispensaries over in Jamestown.”