Ohio Lawmakers Want to Overhaul Voter-Approved Legalization Bill

Ohio lawmakers are seeking to make changes to the voter-approved cannabis legalization bill, including removing provisions that barred municipalities from banning cannabis operations and home cultivation, the Ohio Capital Journal reports. The proposal would also change how cannabis-derived revenues are earmarked in the state. 

Under the ballot measure approved by voters, towns and cities would have been unable to ban cannabis industry operations and home grows and would have been unable to add special taxes or fees on cannabis operations; the bill introduced by state Rep. Gary Click removes those provisions. 

The voter-approved measure also created five funds in the state treasury – the adult-use tax fund, the cannabis social equity and jobs fund, the host community cannabis fund, the substance abuse and addiction fund, and the division of cannabis control and tax commissioner fund – but under Click’s bill the substance abuse fund would be split in two and a law enforcement cannabis training fund would be created.     

The bill would also change how the revenue for the newly created funds would be allocated. The law would earmark just 19.4% of revenues, instead of 36%, for both the cannabis social equity and jobs fund, and the host community cannabis fund; another 19.4% would be used toward the substance abuse research and addiction education fund, instead of the 25% allocated under the voter-approved measure, while 19.4% would be allocated for both the substance abuse addiction and recovery fund, and the law enforcement cannabis training fund. 

The law takes effect on December 7, but House Speaker Jason Stephens (R) indicated to the Journal that he was unsure whether the measure would make it to the floor in the coming week.