The mayor of Cleveland in Ohio is open to the idea of consuming marijuana gums. But first, the state must “get together” and offer regulated access to its legalization law.
Mark Oprea, a reporter for Cleveland Scene who published an extensive interview last week with Mayor Justin Bibb asked him if he’d “smoke” with us now that cannabis is legalized for adults.
“Would you like to smoke with me?” Bibb laughed. I’d bring a gummy to you. How’s that?”
The interviewer replied, “Oh really?”
The mayor replied, “I’ll have to look for a place to buy it.” The state has to first get its act together.
The moment of levity does touch on a policy issue the Ohio legislature is working hard to address: creating a faster way to begin legal marijuana sales.
The legalization law passed in November sets out a long process that will take until 2024 for adult consumers to be able to buy cannabis at licensed retailers.
Gov. Mike DeWine, (R), said that he supports the legalization package passed by the Senate last month. This would allow for sales to be made through existing medical marijuana dispensaries in 90 days after enactment. He acknowledged that the House had a different version, and called on lawmakers to “work with each other and make sure we can solve this problem.”
Cleveland’s mayor has been following the debate on cannabis reform closely and he has already taken measures to further the reform.
He announced, for example, last month that the city had “modernized” their drug-testing policies for candidates for city jobs after legalization. This included eliminating “antiquated terminology around pre-employment cannabis testing which previously hindered hiring attempts.”
Bibb has also filed motions under a law that was signed by the Governor last year to expel more than 4,000 previous marijuana conviction records.
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Some Democratic legislators have stated that they are open to revisions in the debate over legalization. For example, a portion of cannabis tax revenues could be used to fund K-12 education. Other supporters of the voter approved legalization initiative, however, are against legislators undermining the will of the majority who passed it.
Ohio Rep. Juanita Brent, (D), has stressed that those who have been criminalized for marijuana, and those with industry expertise , should be included in any effort to amend the state’s voter-approved law. She argues that it shouldn’t be left to the “anti-cannabis legislators” alone to modify the statute.
Rep. Gary Click filed legislation late in November to allow municipalities to ban cannabis use and home-growing within their jurisdictions. It would also revise the distribution of state marijuana tax revenues by reducing funding allocated to programs for social equity and employment and instead directing them to law enforcement training.
After the Ohio Department of Commerce received voter approval for legalization, it published a FAQ guide to inform residents about the new law, timelines for implementation and other information. Regulators have repeatedly stated that policies could change depending on the actions of the legislature.
Last month, the commerce department announced that the top state alcohol regulator, , who had previously served as a prosecutor in Ohio, would head up the new Ohio cannabis regulatory division.
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Photo by Mike Latimer.
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