Bipartisan Lawmakers In Ohio Reintroduce Cannabis Legalization Bill As Ballot Drive Moves Forward

Republican state Rep. Jamie Callender and Democratic state Rep. Casey Weinstein reintroduced a recreational marijuana legalization bill this week, known as the Ohio Adult Use Act. 

“It’s time for Ohio to act on this before we fall too much further behind our neighbors,” Rep. Weinstein said in a press release. “Adult use is good for our economy, good for our justice system, and the right thing to do.”

If the House bill is heard and becomes law, cultivation and possession of cannabis for adults over 21 will become legal. Retail cannabis sales would be taxed at 10%, the same rate as a proposed ballot initiative, and convictions for past cultivation and possession could be expunged.  

Signature Gathering On The Move

Meanwhile, Ohioans are pushing forward with a signature-gathering drive to get an adult-use cannabis initiative on the ballot for this November.  

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted the legalization proposal through an initiated statute, which is a legal process citizens can use to propose changes in state law.

The coalition needs to gather some 124,000 signatures from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties before the July 5 deadline, a task many believe can be easily achieved.

Tom Haren, a spokesman for the Coalition, says he’s confident the proposal will not only get on the ballot but that Ohio voters will finally legalize marijuana.

“It’s going to be on the ballot and it’s going to pass,” Haren said.

Cleveland Wants Expungement

Meanwhile, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is seeking to have minor cannabis convictions expunged ASAP. 

"I talked to so many residents who couldn't get a job, who couldn't get access to a student loan, who couldn't get access to qualify for housing because they had collateral sanctions on their record, many of which stem from low-level marijuana convictions," Bibb said, reported Spectrum News1.

Initially, Bibb's efforts to expunge misdemeanor marijuana charges hit a legal speed bump but he's determined. 

“We knew we were going to face some uphill battles in the legal system,” the mayor said.

The Bibb administration has reported that more than 800 people have received expungements thanks to coordination between their office and the Biden administration. Bibb brought 4000 cases to the courts in April 2022, seeking to seal those records. 

He also advocated for Senate Bill 288, which was signed into law in January. The bill helps expand Cleveland's ability to introduce expungements. 

“We try to fight on behalf of our residents,” Bibb said.