Tag: ohio

Top Ohio Democratic Senator Says House GOP Failure To Speed Up Marijuana Sales Is A ‘Disservice’ To Voters

A top Ohio Democratic senator says GOP House leadership is doing a “disservice” to the public by failing to advance legislation to expedite marijuana sales after voters approved a legalization ballot measure last year.

The criticism is increasingly bipartisan, as Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has similarly pushed the legislature to pave a faster pathway to sales to resolve the “ridiculous” situation Ohio has found itself in—a regulatory limbo where cannabis is legal to possess and grow but access to licensed shops is months away.

“It’s really being held up in the House,” Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D) told WKRC, adding that it’s “really a disservice to the people of Ohio.”

The Senate did pass a bill in December that would address the issue by allowing existing medical cannabis dispensaries to dually serve patients and adult consumers within 90 days of enactment, in addition to other changes to the initiated statute. But the House hasn’t taken it up, and the chamber has also been considering an alternative package.

“Every day that goes by where we don’t have the ability for folks to either go to the medical dispensaries to legally purchase, we also open ourselves up for an illegal market,” Antonio said. “All that time that passes without having these pathways to legal purchase, without having expungements, and that means people who could have this on their record that aren’t able to get jobs, not able to change things in their lives because of having this record.”

House Speaker Jason Stephens (R) said earlier this month that it’s a “complex issue,” after his chamber declined to take up the Senate-passed legislation.

Meanwhile, James Canepa, who was selected to serve as the first superintendent of the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC), says that the legislature’s delayed action could complicate regulators’ work to effectively stand up the new market.

“To test it, to process it, to sell it, to grow it—you need a permit. And there are steps that need to happen. One of the big steps is this rulemaking process,” he said. “The division doesn’t have unilateral authority to decide whatever the rules are going to be.”

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Decriminalizing marijuana in Ohio is long overdue, but work is not done

In a historic move, Ohio has embraced the legalization of recreational marijuana, marking a significant shift in our state’s approach to cannabis. This landmark decision promotes personal freedom and fosters justice, equity and economic opportunity.

With the legalization of recreational marijuana, Ohioans now have the freedom to possess, consume and cultivate cannabis for personal use without fear of legal repercussions. This policy change represents a crucial step forward, bringing an end to the unjust criminalization of individuals for nonviolent offenses.

However, our work is far from over. Despite the legalization of recreational marijuana, many Ohioans continue to suffer the consequences of past convictions. Misdemeanor marijuana charges have hindered individuals from obtaining driver’s licenses, seeking employment and rebuilding their lives. It is time for our courts to do their part in righting these wrongs.

That is why it is imperative for courts across the state to host “Amnesty Days” and dismiss misdemeanor marijuana cases. These events would allow individuals to clear their records and regain their ability to drive legally. By removing this barrier to employment and mobility, we can empower Ohioans to participate fully in society and contribute to their communities.

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Ohio Lawmaker Warns Colleagues They Risk Losing Reelection For Undermining Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Law

An Ohio lawmaker is warning colleagues that passing legislation to undermine voters’ decision to legalize marijuana in the state will jeopardize their reelection prospects—specifically cautioning against proposals to redirect tax revenue to law enforcement.

Rep. Juanita Brent (D)—who has previously emphasized the need to involve people who’ve been disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization in the legalization implementation process—spoke about the politics of marijuana policy in the legislature during a panel organized by the Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center last week.

With a primary election in Ohio coming up next month, Brent said that “if we go against the people in the state of Ohio, I don’t expect any of us to get reelected because we are not going for what the people want.”

“I know sometimes people feel like they know best when it comes to people, but the people who know best is the people who got me here elected and the people who who voted” for legalization, she said.

Fifty-seven percent of Ohio voters passed a legalization measure at the ballot in November, but the Republican governor and GOP leadership has insisted that further changes to the law are needed, particularly as it concerns the timeline for legal sales.

Other proposed changes have proved more controversial, including a push from Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to use cannabis tax dollars to support law enforcement.

Brent said that “what we can do is we allocate this money and make sure that people have access to it, instead of giving all this money to police training.”

“It blows my mind—particularly how much money they want to put towards police training within the state—but particularly for hospital agencies which came out of the Senate. It to me is ridiculous,” she said. “People have told us time and time again when Issue 2 was passed what they want. All we’re doing right now is going against the people’s will.”

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Ghost guns in Ohio: 3D-printed firearms among Columbus police seizures in 2023

As 2024 began, Columbus police highlighted dozens of untraceable, homemade firearms they seized through the course of the past year, but not because the guns themselves are illegal.

The data on 2023 firearm seizures came alongside the Columbus Division of Police reporting that it found an “astronomical” number of illegal Glock switches, which convert the brand of handguns into fully automatic weapons. One of the ways the plastic part was made is 3D printing, Sgt. James Morrow previously told NBC4.

But beyond individual gun parts, entire firearms churned out from the plastic extruders also turned up in Ohio’s capital city. Because of their lack of an identifying serial number, 3D-printed guns fall under the umbrella of “ghost guns,” which also include metal and polymer guns assembled at home through kits.

“Some people just get Glock parts and attach them, since the majority of the ‘ghost gun’ manufacturers are selling Glock clones,” said CPD Sgt. Joe Albert.

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Ohio Senate Republican Candidate Frank LaRose Took Over $1 Million in ‘Zuck Bucks’ to Help Run 2020 Election

Ohio Senate Republican candidate and Secretary of State Frank LaRose took more than $1 million in funding from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s election nonprofit to help run the November 2020 election.

LaRose announced his Senate bid on Monday, making him the third prominent Republican hoping to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

LaRose actively sought more than a million dollars in funding from Zuckerberg’s Center for Election Innovation and Research as some Republican officials questioned whether or not to take the grants. A local outlet reported in September 2020:

But Ohio lawmakers on Monday without debate approved accepting $1.1 million from the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a Washington D.C. nonprofit. That money will pay for radio, TV and digital ads describing absentee voting procedures, combatting misinformation, poll worker recruitment and other items, according to a request submitted by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican.

Ray Weber, a local Republican, said, “I just have a real problem with private organizations getting involved with funding and dictating what we’re supposed to do.”

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Ohio bans transgender drugs and surgery for children under 18 and blocks trans kids from participating in girls’ sports

Ohio has approved a ban on transgender drugs and surgery for children under the age of 18 years — and a block on trans youngsters for participating in girls’ sports.

The state’s legislature today overrode the Governor’s veto to clear a way for a ban on prescriptions of puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender surgery for minors.

The bill will come into force in the next 90 days, with doctors who continue to provide care for minors risking losing their medical license.

Ohio has become the 23rd state to ban transgender care for minors, amid a wave of laws passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in recent years. It is also the 24th to outlaw trans girls participating in sport at the high school and college level.

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Transgender Democrat Permitted to Run for Ohio Office Despite Hiding Former Name

A transgender candidate has been permitted to run for a seat in the Ohio House despite hiding his original name on documents required by state elections law.

The Mercer County Board of Elections chose not to take up a vote on disqualifying transgender Democrat candidate Arienne Childrey, a biological male identifying as female, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Childrey underwent a name change in 2020 but said he would have provided his former name if he had known about the law.

“I would have filled out whatever was necessary because at the end of the day, while it would have been a hit to my pride, there is something much more important than my pride, and that’s fighting for this community,” Childrey said.

The Ohio law requires prospective political candidates who have changed their names within the last five years to put their former names on their candidate petitions, except for those who have changed their names due to marriage.

If Childrey wins the Democrat primary, the transgender candidate will likely go on to face Ohio State Rep. Angie King (R-Celina), who has sponsored anti-grooming legislation and voted to ban transgender-related medical procedures being performed on children.

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Zoning Bans the Good Samaritan

Since March 2023, Chris Avell’s church, Dad’s Place, in Bryan, Ohio, has been keeping its doors open 24/7 for anyone who might stop by to use the church’s kitchen, get food for themselves or their pets from its pantry, or join in church services.

When the homeless shelter next door is full, Dad’s Place will take in some of those people too. Avell considers all these activities a core part of his church’s mission. The city of Bryan, however, considers his sheltering of people an illegal, residential use of a commercially zoned property.

This past New Year’s Eve, when Avell was arriving at the church to preach that Sunday morning, a police officer served him with 18 criminal charges related to violations of the town’s zoning code. Avell pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this month.

Churches’ charitable activities often don’t fit neatly into zoning codes’ definitions of commercial and residential uses. For that reason, they often get dinged with code violations for doing things like operating a soup kitchen in a residential area or sheltering people in a commercial zone.

The fact that churches are also serving the poor and homeless can make them a target of nuisance complaints from neighbors and extra scrutiny and enforcement from local officials as well.

Bryan’s decision to criminally charge Avell is nevertheless unusually punitive.

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Ohio proposes regulating ‘gender denying’ treatments

Ohio is the latest battleground over controversial treatments for males who wish to appear as females or vice versa. Supporters call it “gender affirming care” while critics call it “gender denying.”

If some of the proposals supported by Governor Mike DeWine are enacted, Ohio will become the newest state to place restrictions on such treatments for either adults or children. The treatments include hormone therapies that have proven dangerous under some circumstances and aren’t FDA-approved for use in gender dysphoria, long labelled as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. Treatments may also include disfiguring surgeries intended to mimic the appearance of the opposite sex.

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Ohio Governor Pushes Lawmakers To Ban Or Limit Delta-8 THC Products

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) wants the state to either ban or regulate delta-8 THC products.

But since there’s nothing he can do administratively, he is urging lawmakers to do something in regards to intoxicating hemp products like delta-8.

“I would be very happy to have a ban,” DeWine said during a press conference, holding up packages of delta-8—one resembling Frosted Flakes, another looking like Cocoa Puffs and a third that looks like Trolli candy.

“It’s up to the legislature. If it is moved basically under the marijuana protocol, you wouldn’t see packaging like that…and I would be satisfied with that.”

Seventeen states have banned delta-8 and seven more have restrictions around it, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association.

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