Ohio’s Republican Governor is asking lawmakers to revise , the state’s marijuana legalization law that was approved by voters before it takes effect in a few key areas next month.
Two days after Ohio voters approved Issue 2, Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, says he is in talks with the GOP leadership of the Ohio legislature to amend the statutory measure before adult possession and cultivation becomes legal on December 7.
He wants to change the law in order to limit advertising, reduce the risk of driving while impaired, and limit the public consumption.
The governor did not provide any details on the language he hopes will be adopted. However, he stated that he is scheduled to meet Monday with Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Jason Stephens to discuss ways to fix what he calls “holes” within the law approved by voters.
Huffman and Stephens have both discussed their independent interest in amending cannabis law with a focus THC limits and the tax policy. A spokesperson from the Senate GOP majority told the Statehouse News Bureau in a similar way that the legislature may amend the statute to clarify certain questionable language about limits for THC, and that “tax rates are a concern.”
On Thursday, the governor said that “the people of Ohio have made it clear they want legalized marijuana.”
He said: “We will make sure that they get it, but we also have to fulfill our responsibility towards all of the Ohioans, regardless if they voted in favor or against the bill…that we handle this responsibly, that we treat them with respect.” “And we do this, frankly, the Ohio Way.”
The governor says he visited a state that is not named where it was “rarely” he didn’t smell cannabis. He wants to make sure Ohioans don’t experience the same thing.
He said: “The voters said that people have the right to smoke pot–that’s okay.” “But others have the right to not smell it or have their children and grandchildren exposed to it,” he said.
DeWine sees the need to clarify or expand on the consumption provisions of the law.
The calendars of both chambers are limited in time to pass legislation that addresses the concerns of the Governor and legislators before personal possession and cultivation becomes effective. The Senate will only meet twice between now and December 7th, while the House has just four days of session to act.
“There are many holes in the legislation.” DeWine stated that it would be best if the bill was passed by July 7th, so we don’t have to take anything away from the people. We’re not going to tell them that for X days, it will be this and then X days later, it will be another thing.
remarked. “And do it thoughtfully, and create a package so that everyone knows the rules when we begin something new in Ohio.”
Tom Haren, spokesperson for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol campaign (CTRMLA), told The Columbus Dispatch he couldn’t believe that in 2023, we would be talking about officials who don’t respect the will of voters or the results of elections.
He said: “I expect – I think every voter in Ohio has the right to expect – that elected officials will implement, and respect, the will of voters.”
Rep. Casey Weinstein, who has been a champion of cannabis reform and sponsored bipartisan legislation legalizing marijuana in Ohio, told Marijuana Moment: “Ohioans have spoken loudly” on Tuesday.
“We value privacy. We value freedom. “We value freedom,” he said. “Leaders in the legislature must heed the voice of the people and respect their will.”
The Ohio Department of Commerce published a FAQ guide to inform residents about the new law, including the timeline for its implementation. Regulators have repeatedly stated that policies could change depending on the actions of the legislature.
The prohibitionist organizations who campaigned against Issue 2 are now determined to undermine the newly passed law. Some have even described plans to pressurize the legislature into repealing legalization completely before it is implemented.
Amy Ronshausen is the executive director of Drug Free America Foundation. She wrote an open message to DeWine, and to lawmakers, following Tuesday’s votes, , urging that they “consider additional legislation, and programs, to mitigate dangers associated with recreational marijuana.”
Amy Ronshausen, Executive Director of Save Our Society From Drugs, wrote the following open letter to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine & the members of the Ohio State Legislature, in reaction to the recreational marijuana ballot initiative passing in the state: https://t.co/6cyQLlD1Vb pic.twitter.com/gk8rTRZ1M2
— S.O.S. (@SaveOurSociety1) 8 November 2023
In September, several Ohio legislators said that they did not believe the legislature would attempt to repeal a legalization law passed by voters.
The issue was only decided by the voters after the lawmakers refused to use the opportunity of passing their own reform during the ballot qualification procedure. The legislature had months to pass a legalization they could have tailored to address any outstanding concerns. However, the voters were ultimately left to decide by default.
The governor, for his part has said that “it would be an absolute mistake” if we had recreational marijuana. He also added that he visited Colorado in 2012 after its legalization and saw “an unmitigated catastrophe.”
The GOP-controlled Senate, which was responsible for the early voting that began late last month urged residents to reject Measure .
Rep. Dave Joyce, the co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus said in September he’d vote in favor of this initiative in November. He encouraged “all Ohio citizens to take part and have their voices heard about this important issue.”
Sherrod BROWN (D-OH), the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said that he voted for the ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. He called it a hard decision but a decision based on the belief that this reform would improve “safety” among consumers.
Vivek RAMASWAMY, a Republican presidential candidate for 2024, has said that he voted against the ballot initiative to legalize cannabis in Ohio, because he is concerned that the federal government may “weaponize criminalization” against people who engage in state-legal marijuana activities under the “fake pretense” they are protected from federal prosecution.
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) said that Ohio’s decision to legalize cannabis at the ballot was just one of many recent examples of Americans rejecting “MAGA extremeism”. He added that he is committed to working on a bipartisan level “to continue moving forward on bipartisan marijuana legislation as soon we can.”
The White House said separately that “nothing has changed” with President Joe Biden’s stance on cannabis. They declined to state if they supported Ohio’s decision to legalize marijuana this week, or if they supported further reforms of federal cannabis laws.
Advocates see a path to legalizing marijuana sales with Democrats in control of Virginia’s legislature
Photo by Philip Steffan.
The first time Marijuana Moment was published, the post Ohio Republican Gov. Calls on Lawmakers to Revise Voter Approved Marijuana Law before Legalization takes Effect Next Month.
