Tag: Ohio

Rushing Back to College for a Degree in…Weed? – Surge in Applicants for Cannabis Education Courses Catches Ohio By Storm

September 15, 2023 · Cannabis.net

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.

GOP Congressman Explains Why He’ll Vote For Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative In November As State Releases Pro And Con Arguments

August 29, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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.

Only One In 10 Ohio Prosecutors Say They’ll Seal Drug Records Under Reform Law, With Most Eyeing Relief For Marijuana Convictions, Study Finds

August 26, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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.

Ohio Gov. and Health Commissioners Oppose Cannabis Legalization

August 24, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has come out in opposition of adult-use cannabis legalization in the state, telling the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board last week that the reforms would “be a real mistake,” WSYX reports. On Tuesday, the Ohio Association of Health Commissioners (AOHC), which represents Ohio’s 112 local health departments, also urged citizens to vote “no” on the proposal.  Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose last week confirmed that the campaign seeking to legalize cannabis for adult use had gathered enough signatures to… Read more.

Ohio Cannabis Legalization Question Approved for November Ballots

August 23, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

Ohio voters will decide whether to legalize cannabis for adult-use in the state in November. Last week, Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed the campaign had gathered enough signatures to put the issue on ballots.    Late last month, advocates had fallen short of the signature goal but were able to gather an additional 679 valid signatures ahead of an August 4 deadline. In all, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol submitted 127,772 valid signatures.   In a Facebook post, coalition spokesman Tom Haren said advocates “are grateful to the… Read more.

Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative Will Appear On The November Ballot, State Officials Announce

August 17, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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 $404 Million In Annual Marijuana Tax Revenue If Voters Approve Legalization This November, Analysis Finds

August 16, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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.

Ohio’s Abortion Rights Ballot Victory Is A Positive Signal For Marijuana Legalization This November

August 10, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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.

Ohio recreational cannabis group claims enough signatures to qualify for ballot

August 4, 2023 · MJ Biz Daily

Organizers of a campaign to legalize recreational cannabis in Ohio said they’ve submitted more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the November ballot. The campaign on Thursday submitted 6,545 to state election officials, campaign spokesperson Tom Haren said in a statement. That total is almost 10 times as many signatures as the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol needed. Earlier this summer, the campaign turned in roughly 223,000 signatures to the Ohio secretary of state’s office, which told the campaign… Read more.

Ohio adult-use marijuana ballot bid falls shy of needed signatures

July 26, 2023 ·

Ohio voters might see adult-use marijuana legalization on the November ballot, but campaign organizers have a little more work to do first. The effort to legalize a recreational market in Ohio has 10 days to find nearly 700 valid signatures to qualify for the fall ballot, state officials said Tuesday. The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol campaign submitted more than 223,000 signatures to the Ohio secretary of state earlier this month. The state declared that only 123,367 signatures were valid, according to a… Read more.

Ohio Marijuana Legalization Measure Falls 679 Signatures Short Of November Ballot, But Activists Now Have 10 Days To Fix That

July 26, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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.

Ohio Adds IBS to Medical Cannabis Program; Rejects OCD, Autism

July 19, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

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.

Ohio Gets Ready to Legalize Recreational Cannabis After They Like What They See in Their Medical Marijuana Program

June 8, 2023 · Cannabis.net

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.

Bipartisan Cannabis Legalization Bill Introduced In Ohio

May 27, 2023 ·

A bi-partisan bill to legalize cannabis has been introduced in Ohio by state Reps. Casey Weinstein (D) and Jamie Callender (R) would allow the cultivation, purchasing, and possession of cannabis by Ohioans over the age of 21, and allow for the expungement of conviction records for previous cultivation and possession offenses. The measure includes a 10% tax on sales which would be distributed in part to support primary and secondary education, support communities that host dispensaries, combat drug dependence and illegal drug trafficking,… Read more.

Ohio Cannabis Advocates Again Collecting Signatures for Legalization Initiative

May 9, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

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.

Adult-Use Marijuana Initiative Expected to Reach Ohio Voters This Fall

May 6, 2023 · Green Market Report

A recent poll showed than 60% of Ohioans support recreational cannabis. A campaign to legalize marijuana for Ohioans age 21 and older is ready to collect additional signatures in order to qualify for this November’s ballot. The recreational marijuana law, proposed as an initiated statute by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, was transmitted to the Ohio General Assembly on Jan. 3. Lawmakers have four months to take action on a law proposed through an initiated statute. If they don’t pass… Read more.

Ohio Pharmacy Board Would No Longer Regulate Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Under Gov.’s Proposed Budget

April 21, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

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.

ACLU Defends Afroman In Lawsuit From Police Who Are Upset He Used Footage Of Their Marijuana Raid On His Home In Music Video

April 20, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

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.

Expand Your Mind at the Best Weed Museums in the U.S.

April 15, 2023 · Thrillist

THE FIRST THING YOU SEE upon entering the Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood is a digital stained glass window stamped “Cannfessional.” Behind it is a small sound booth, wrapped in cloud-print wallpaper, with a glowing neon chair and a microphone dangling from the ceiling. Facing the chair on the wall is a TV with a camera mounted on top. This is where you reveal your truth. With the Cannfessional, the museum encourages participants to record themselves telling stories… Read more.

Afroman Sued By Police For Using Raid Footage In Music Videos, Social Media

March 23, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

Seven police officers with the Adams County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio are suing the rapper Afroman, legal name Joseph Foreman, over his use of home security footage from a raid they carried out at his house last September, FOX19 reports. The plaintiffs claim that Afroman has illegally profited off footage that shows their faces without consent in music videos and to generate social media engagement, which has resulted in “emotional distress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation and humiliation.” The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs are… Read more.

Which States Could Expand Cannabis Legalization in 2023?

March 15, 2023 · MG Magazine

Oklahoma voters rejected a ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adult use during a special election this month by a margin of 62 percent, surprising many advocates who saw the popularity of the state’s medical market as a promising sign for adult-use expansion. Ultimately, the state’s medical program proved to be good enough for a majority of voters outside Oklahoma City and Tulsa. But the push to expand domestic cannabis legalization in 2023 is far from over. “For 2024, we’ve calculated Virginia,… Read more.