Tag: Ohio

Ohio marijuana sales could launch as soon as June under a regulatory plan that a legislative rulemaking committee is set to approve as lawmakers’ plans to revise the voter-approved legalization law continue to stall out. Regulators have until September to start issuing cannabis business licenses under the ballot initiative that was approved last November, but the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has devised a plan to start granting dual licenses to existing medical marijuana operators to begin serving adult consumers… Read more.

A strong majority of voters—including more than 60 percent of Republicans—support congressional legislation to protect states’ rights to set their own marijuana laws, according to a new poll of three states. The survey, commissioned by the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR), focused on Missouri, Ohio and Wyoming. It asked voters 21 and older about their views on the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act. The bill, which is being led by Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)… Read more.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called for state lawmakers to ban “intoxicating hemp” goods, including all delta-8 products, as part of their work on amending Issue 2, the ballot measure that legalized recreational marijuana last November. On Wednesday, DeWine said at a press conference that a law enforcement sting operation had caught at least one gas station selling hemp-based delta-8 goods to minors, Fox 8 News reported. During the gathering with reporters, Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson showed pictures of THC-infused… Read more.

Ohio’s Republican governor is adamant that lawmakers must pass legislation as soon as possible to expedite regulated recreational marijuana sales and also ban purchases of intoxicating hemp products. With the legislature coming back into session for the new year, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said “we just need to get something done” to address the adult-use sales rollout timeline under a voter-approved legalization law that took effect last month. It’s a “strange situation” the state has found itself in, he said,… Read more.

Ohio lawmakers will not be amending the state’s voter-approved marijuana law this year despite a Republican-led push to expedite changes. The Senate has passed a bill to make changes, and a House committee has held a series of hearings on a different proposal, but the legislature will not be sending any reform measure to the governor’s desk by the time lawmakers head home for the holiday break this week. The House Finance Committee took public testimony on a cannabis legalization amendment… Read more.

Ohio senators held a second meeting on a bill to significantly change the state’s marijuana legalization law that’s set to take effect this week, hearing public testimony amid sharp criticism of the GOP-led effort. In other chamber, meanwhile, a Republican representative has filed alternative legislation that would largely preserve what voters approved at the ballot, with certain exceptions such as a proposed ban on sharing cannabis between adults. One day after the Senate General Government Committee gave initial approval to the cannabis… Read more.

Budtenders at Strawberry Fields in Columbus, Ohio last week voted to join Teamsters Local 413, becoming the first in the state to join the union. In a statement Tony Jones, Teamsters International vice president at large and president of Local 413, said “This is the first of many proprietors” the union will be organizing in the state, “especially now that recreational cannabis is legal.” Estlin Hiller, a budtender at Strawberry Fields, called the vote “a huge moment for the Teamsters, Ohio, the labor movement, the… Read more.

An Ohio Democratic lawmaker wants to see people who’ve been criminalized over marijuana, as well as those with industry experience, involved in any efforts to amend the state’s voter-approved legalization law, arguing that it shouldn’t be left up to “anti-cannabis” legislators alone to revise the statute. Ohio Senate and House GOP leaders have already previewed plans to pass a package of changes to the law before possession and cultivation becomes legal next month, with a focus on potential revisions affecting tax revenue distribution,… Read more.

Ohio’s Senate president says he’s on board with the governor’s plan to make certain changes to the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law before the first provisions take effect early next month. Meanwhile, the House GOP leader seems to disagree on that timeline. It’s unclear what specific amendments Senate President Matt Huffman (R) will ultimately propose, but he said on Wednesday that he’s in agreement with Gov. Mike DeWine (R) that lawmakers should move quickly to revise the statutory law before possession and… Read more.

With Ohio becoming the latest state to legalize marijuana, there’s a renewed sense of urgency to follow suit in neighboring Pennsylvania, with the governor’s office calling it “another reminder” of the need to enact reform. Pennsylvania is now more solidly blanketed by states with legalization on the books. Five out of six bordering states—Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Ohio—have all done away with prohibition, leaving residents with plentiful and relatively accessible options to buy out-of-state cannabis products. Gov. Josh… Read more.

Ohio officials have already released an FAQ guide to answer basic questions about the state’s new marijuana legalization law that voters approved on Tuesday. The state Department of Commerce (DOC) sent out a press release on Wednesday to announce the resource for residents interested in learning more about the rules and timeline for the legalization initiative’s rollout. Under the measure, a Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) will be established under DOC to regulate the adult-use market and issue marijuana business licenses. But… Read more.

Ohio is poised to become the cannabis industry’s next big thing if voters there, as expected, approve an adult-use marijuana legalization measure on Tuesday. Legal cannabis in Ohio – with nearly 12 million people, it’s the country’s seventh-most-populous state – would provide a boost to existing medical marijuana businesses, which would be positioned to serve an adult-use market worth as much as $4 billion within a few years, according to MJBizDaily projections. It would also be another milestone for the U.S. reform… Read more.

Less than two weeks ahead of Election Day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is talking to local TV stations about his opposition to Issue 2, a ballot initiative that would legalize adult-use marijuana in the state. But newly released state data on campaign fundraising indicate that supporters have an edge, having raised nearly four times what opponents have collected. DeWine said voters are confused about both the cannabis measure and a separate initiative, Issue 1, which would protect access to… Read more.

The official voting day for Ohioans is Nov. 7, but early voting has already begun on Oct. 11. This is a significant year for cannabis because a cannabis legalization measure, which is labeled as Issue 2, is appearing on the ballot. However, some legislators are not thrilled with the idea that cannabis legalization could be approved, and announced plans to possibly repeal the law if it does get passed. Senate President Matt Huffman spoke on the Senate floor in opposition of… Read more.

As early voting kicked off in Ohio on Wednesday, the state Senate passed a GOP-led resolution urging voters to reject a marijuana legalization measure that’s on the ballot. Introduced by Sens. Mark Romanchuk (R) and Terry Johnson (R), and cosponsored by 14 other Senate Republicans, SR 216 lists a parade of horribles that lawmakers say would befall the state if the cannabis ballot initiative known as Issue 2 becomes law. “The proposed statute authored by the commercial marijuana industry,” it… Read more.

With early voting in Ohio beginning next week, the campaign behind a ballot measure to legalize marijuana released a new campaign ad on Friday in support of the policy change. Attorney General Dave Yost (R), meanwhile, published an analysis of the initiative that he said is meant to provide voters with “vital clarity and transparency” amid a campaign that has seen “inflamed and inaccurate” rhetoric. The new ad from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the primary backer of… Read more.

Roughly three out of five Ohio voters support a marijuana legalization measure that will appear on November’s ballot, according to a newly released poll, with nearly two thirds of respondents saying they believe legalization in the state is “inevitable.” With less than two weeks before widespread early voting kicks off, 55 percent of respondents said they “definitely” or “probably” will vote yes on the legalization initiative, while about 34 percent “definitely” or “probably” will oppose it. Only about 11 percent… Read more.

After years of preparation, marijuana use for recreational purposes may soon be legalized in Ohio. Since its clearance on August 16th, the proposal has undergone significant evolution and faced various challenges. These challenges include resistance from lawmakers who declined to deliberate on it and the necessity to gather additional valid signatures to meet the ballot qualification criteria. If passed, the proposal would grant individuals aged 21 and above the right to buy, possess, and cultivate up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis… Read more.

As Ohio officials release pro and con arguments for a marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on the November ballot, a GOP congressman who represents the state is applauding the measure and explaining why he will personally be “voting yes.” In a statement shared with Marijuana Moment on Monday, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, encouraged “all Ohio voters to participate and make their voices heard on this important issue” now that the legalization measure has… Read more.

As Ohio voters prepare to decide on a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot, only about one in 10 Ohio prosecutors say they’re likely to take advantage of a separate recently enacted law that allows them to independently seal the records of people with low-level drug convictions—and most of those say they’d focus on cannabis-related offenses—according to a new study. Researchers at Ohio State University surveyed 86 municipal prosecutors this year to better understand the practical impact of the reform, which… Read more.

An initiative to legalize marijuana in Ohio will appear on the state’s ballot this November, officials announced on Wednesday. About two weeks after activists turned in a final round of signatures for the cannabis proposal, the secretary of state’s office has now certified that it met the requirements for ballot placement. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) submitted more than 220,000 signatures for the measure last month, but the state found that advocates came up short by 679 valid signatures. They… Read more.

Ohio could see up to $403.6 million in annual tax revenue from adult-use marijuana sales if voters approve a legalization measure that could appear on the November ballot, a newly updated analysis projects. The paper from Ohio State University researchers assesses the potential economic impact of cannabis legalization in the state, providing tax revenue estimates for the first years of sales based on an analysis of comparable state markets. The analysis focuses on marijuana sales trends in neighboring Michigan because the… Read more.

As Ohio marijuana reform advocates await final certification of signatures for a legalization initiative they hope to place on the November ballot, an unrelated vote during the state’s special election on Tuesday is being viewed as a bellwether for the cannabis proposal’s passage. Voters turned out in impressive numbers to defeat Issue 1 on Tuesday. The GOP-backed measure would have raised the threshold to approve constitutional amendments at the ballot from a simple majority to 60 percent—a change that could… Read more.

An Ohio marijuana legalization campaign is just 679 valid signatures short of putting its initiative on the November ballot, sate officials say, but organizers now have 10 additional days to make up the difference to qualify. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) turned in more than 220,000 signatures earlier this month. But the secretary of state’s office said in a letter to the campaign on Tuesday that only 123,367 were verified, several hundred short of the 124,046 signature requirement for ballot… Read more.

The Ohio State Medical Board last week added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a qualifying condition to the state’s medical cannabis program, the Ohio Capital Journal reports. The panel, however, rejected the addition of obsessive-compulsive syndrome (OCD) and autism spectrum disorder as qualifying conditions.  In all, there are now 26 total conditions for which Ohio cannabis patients can access medical cannabis.   Charlie Trefny, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association’s director of government affairs, told the Journal that the organization was “disappointed” that the board… Read more.

Should a bipartisan bill receive approval from the Ohio Statehouse, individuals in Ohio who are 21 years old and above will gain the right to cultivate, purchase, and possess marijuana. State representatives Casey Weinstein of Hudson and Jamie Callender of Concord introduced House Bill 168, also known as the Ohio Adult Use Act, earlier this month. The proposed cannabis legalization includes a provision for expunging conviction records related to prior cultivation and possession offenses. Weinstein expressed in a news statement that "adult… Read more.

Cannabis legalization advocates in Ohio are again collecting signatures to put the legalization question to voters in November after state lawmakers missed the deadline to pass a citizen-authored initiative to enact the reforms, WCMH reports. The Ohio Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol needs to gather 124,046 signatures to get the issue on ballots, spokesman Tom Haren said.   A Spectrum News/Siena College poll from September found 60% of Ohioans back the reforms with 37% opposed and 3% unsure.  The measure includes home… Read more.

Under Gov. Mike DeWine’s executive budget, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy would no longer have responsibilities regulating the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries, Cleveland.com reports. The governor’s plan would transfer some of the pharmacy board’s responsibilities to the Department of Commerce, but the pharmacy board would still be responsible for reviewing and adding qualifying conditions to the medical cannabis program.   Currently, there are three agencies that regulate the Ohio medical cannabis program: the commerce department, pharmacy board, and State Medical Board.  Dan Tierney, DeWine’s spokesman,… Read more.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with the organization’s Ohio chapter, has filed a proposed amicus brief supporting Afroman in a civil lawsuit brought against him by seven police officers who are upset the hip hop artist used footage of their marijuana raid on his home in a music video. Afroman, whose real name is Joseph E. Foreman, was sued last month by members of the Adams County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office who conducted a 2022 search of his house… Read more.