The Governor of Ohio wants lawmakers to act as soon as they can to fix the “ridiculous” situation that the state is in. Marijuana is now legal for possession and use, but there is no place where consumers can purchase regulated products.
Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said The Senate passed a good bill to make changes to the legalization laws which voters approved last month at the ballot box. However the House did not act before the lawmakers adjourned the year. He told reporters that he spoke with House Speaker Jason Stephens, who promised to fix the problems when lawmakers return.
DeWine, who opposed the legalization measure that was overwhelmingly approved by voters, said it is important to “move forward” and implement reforms as soon as possible to allow legal access to marijuana. DeWine, who opposed the legalization initiative that voters overwhelmingly approved, said “what’s important is we go forward,” starting with enacting reforms to provide legal access to cannabis sooner than later.
“I don’t think anyone who voted [for legalization] thought we would have a scenario like we do now,” the Governor said. He added that he didn’t want Ohio’s experience to be the same as New York’s, which has been plagued by illicit retailers throughout the lengthy legalization process.
DeWine said WSYX during an end-of year interview on Thursday that “the legislature needs to act now so we can actually start selling it legally in Ohio and control how it’s being sold” so the buyer knows what they are getting.
He wants legislators to close what he called a “loophole”, in the current state law, by limiting the sale of cannabinoids derived from hemp that are intoxicating such as delta-8-THC.
The governor was asked about another proposal floated by legislators to redirect the marijuana tax revenues toward law enforcement training. This is a similar policy change which would be implemented if the Senate passed this bill. The voter-approved initiative would, on the other hand, allocate significant funds to equity and employment.
DeWine stated that he “very strongly” supported the plan to redirect funds. He said, “This is our once in a lifetime opportunity, as much I was against this passing.”
He said, “We must take this money and use it to do something positive.” “Investing this money or at least a portion of it in police training is logical.”
The proposal is more sceptical among advocates. It was also discussed at a series hearings held by the House Finance Committee, as legislators considered a separate package of amendments to the state’s Marijuana Law. Activists are frustrated with the idea that more money should be allocated to police, when legalization’s main goal is to separate marijuana from law enforcement.
The bills passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature earlier this month varied in many ways. The Senate plan would speed up sales but also reduce the household cap on home-grown pot, impose THC limits, limit public consumption, reallocate revenue, and more.
Reform supporters generally prefer a separate House bill by Rep. Jamie Callender, R. This is because it would make fewer sweeping changes than what voters approved. It would, however, ban the sharing of marijuana among adults, impose a tax on cultivators, and make similar changes to tax revenue distribution.
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Some Democratic lawmakers have said they are open to revisions such as allocating certain cannabis tax revenues for K-12 education. However, supporters of the legalization initiative that was approved by the majority of voters do not want legislators to undermine the will that the majority of voters expressed.
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, (R), filed legislation last month to allow local municipalities to ban the use of and home cultivation cannabis within their jurisdictions. It would also revise distribution of state marijuana tax revenues by, for instance, shifting funds from social equity programs and jobs 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.
The Commerce Department announced last week the former prosecutor and state’s top regulator of alcohol will be leading the new Ohio marijuana regulation division.
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