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Ohio Marijuana Legalization: What You Need to Know

 
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A comprehensive overview of the current state of marijuana laws in Ohio.

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Ohio voters could be asked to decide whether possessing up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis or 15 grams of concentrate should be legal. That proposal, known as the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Amendment, is currently being reviewed by the Ohio Attorney General's office to determine whether it meets the requirements to be placed on the ballot. If it does, Ohioans could vote on the amendment in November 2022.

In 1975, then-Gov. James Rhodes signed a bill that made Ohio the sixth state to decriminalize marijuana, reducing possession of less than 100 grams to a minor misdemeanor. But Ohio has yet to fully legal marijuana for recreational use, despite several attempts in recent years.

The legal of marijuana has been a contending topic for many years in Ohio. While marijuana legal for recreational use will not be on the ballot in 2021, there are several ongoing efforts to push for legal in the state.

Meanwhile, Ohio has legal medical marijuana, with dispensaries opening across the state in 2019. Patients with qualifying medical conditions can obtain a recommendation from a certified physician and purchase medical marijuana from a licensed dispensary.

But, as medical marijuana inches toward legal in the state, the legal landscape remains murky. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and the Ohio Supreme Court has yet to issue a definitive ruling on whether employers can fire employees for using medical marijuana.

The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law is closely monitoring the evolving legal landscape surrounding marijuana in Ohio and across the country.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, lawmakers have yet to legal marijuana despite the fact that several nearby states have done so. New York, New Jersey, and Virginia have all legal marijuana in recent months, while Delaware and Ohio are considering similar measures.

Cannabis will be legal in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, as well as Washington, D.C., by July 2021. But Indiana remains one of the few states in the region where marijuana is still illegal, despite the fact that neighboring states are generating millions of dollars in tax revenue from legal marijuana sales.

Lawmakers in many states, including Ohio, are filing marijuana law reform legislation in an effort to legal or decriminalize marijuana. Bills have been introduced in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and other states.

Asked to comment, Republican Ohio Congressman David Joyce said in a statement, “The polling is clear: federal cannabis prohibition is in desperate need of reform." Joyce has supported legislation to reform federal marijuana laws and has been a vocal advocate for marijuana research.

In conclusion, while Ohio has yet to fully legal marijuana for recreational use, the state has made significant progress in recent years to expand access to medical marijuana. With neighboring states legal marijuana and ongoing efforts to push for legal in Ohio, it remains to be seen whether the Buckeye State will join the growing list of states that have fully legal marijuana.

Labels:
ohiomarijuanalegalizationmedicalregulate marijuana like alcohol amendmentdecriminalizefederal lawemployerstax revenuereform

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