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LIMA – Ohio could become the next state to join the growing list that has legalized recreational marijuana.
The past decade has brought sweeping reform of marijuana laws across the country. Nineteen states, along with Guam and Washington, DC, have legalized recreational marijuana, or are in the process of doing so, in one form or another for anyone over the age of 21. Each state has its own different stipulations, but the movement is gaining ground. momentum, especially in recent times. New York, Virginia, New Mexico, and Connecticut all approved legalization measures in 2021 alone.
The charge in Oho is being led by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which will have to amass 130,000 petition signatures to bring the legislation to Columbus. If they get those signatures, the legislator will have four months to decide whether to pass or reject the bill.
If the Ohio legislature chooses not to pass anything, the coalition will need to generate an additional 130,000 signatures to maintain hope for marijuana reform in Ohio. If they do, the issue would be taken up by Ohioans in the 2022 general election.
Coalition spokesman Tom Haren said his group had high hopes of pushing a bill through the Ohio General Assembly.
“We are actually confident that we will get it adopted by the General Assembly. We are focused on the laser to do this, â€he said. “We think when lawmakers look at our proposal, when they talk to their constituents and once we’re able to sit down and explain to them that this is something that comes one way or another . The question really is “will the Washington bureaucrats make this decision, or will the Ohioans make this decision?” We hope they will support our proposal.
The proposal was developed through a combination of factors. Haren said the coalition looked at best practices from other states that have legalized recreational marijuana, as well as using current Ohio medical marijuana laws as the basis on which to to lean on.
Ohio is also reportedly looking to follow suit with other states by allowing marijuana users to grow their own cannabis plants at home. Of all the states that have addressed the legalization of marijuana, Washington is the only state that does not allow home grow practices. Ohio’s proposal would allow individuals to grow up to six plants per person, with a maximum of 12 per house. This section of the bill is comparable to the current rules for growing cannabis in Michigan.
Under the proposal, recreational marijuana in Ohio would be subject to a 10% tax rate. The tax is in line with that of other states like Nevada and Massachusetts, which currently impose around 10%, and is significantly lower than that of states like Oregon and Washington, which impose excise taxes on marijuana. of 17 and 37%, respectively.
With a 10 percent tax rate, Haren said recreational marijuana has the potential to generate around $ 400 million in tax revenue for the state at its full potential. California generated over $ 1 billion in marijuana tax revenue in 2020. At first, Ohio might be more comparable to a state like Michigan, which generated $ 81 million in tax revenue in 2020, but has only legalized recreational marijuana since 2018.
If the legislation gets to Columbus, the coalition wants to make sure that the money that would be generated is not wasted.
“We have strong social arrangements that provide funding for social equity efforts and funding for local municipalities, funding to fight drug addiction and drug addiction,†Haren said. “We have framed the proposal in such a way that we can provide a quick and meaningful alternative to the unregulated market. So we think we’ve hit all the right boxes when it comes to adopting a framework for use by adults. “
Several cities in Ohio have already decriminalized marijuana in recent years, imposing minimum or no fines for possession of marijuana up to 100 or 200 grams in some cities. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton have all decriminalized marijuana in the past two years.
It might take a few years for recreational marijuana to reach its full potential in Ohio, but the first step on that journey begins now for Ohioans. Whether legislation passes in the General Assembly or voters go to the polls next November, Ohio appears destined to join the rapidly growing list of states across the country that have signed up. Only time will tell how long the process will take.
The products are hung at the 20 Past 4 store in Jackson County, Michigan.
The shopping area of ​​20 Past 4 Provisioning Center, 3590 Ann Arbor Road in Leoni Township on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
The recreational marijuana flower is arranged at 8 p.m. 4 in Jackson County, Michigan.
Contact Trevor Hubert at 567-242-0398
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