56 minutes ago, VintageLife said:

My bad, I meant if we got an amendment on the ballot, would that replace the stuff they are changing? 

 

An amendment could theoretically be done that could make desired changes permanent barring future amendments that are voted on to repeal them, but it likely wouldn't be done in 2024. I just don't think there would be enough political capital to pull it off unless the state legislature completely guts the referendum that was passed. we would have to see what the final results of the legislature's actions are before anyone would attempt this IMO.

That mandatory 3 day jail sentence for car passengers could get really interesting. 

 

The proposed law against sharing is just so dumb I cannot quite believe it.  

Just another way you lose a massive amount of freedom the minute you get into a car. They can do anything they want to you when you are inside one.

I'm sure that law won't be abused to lock up minorities at a disproportional rate /s

37 minutes ago, GCrites said:

Just another way you lose a massive amount of freedom the minute you get into a car. They can do anything they want to you when you are inside one.

 

More reason to bike! lol

 

...lol I know my peanut gallery isn't adding anything but why's Ohio always got to ...Ohio good things.

First of all, it's puff puff pass not puff puff give. Second of all that is a stupid rule and makes no sense. The whole thing is to treat it like alcohol / tobacco and I've never been told I can't pass a beer to my friend to try a sip at a brewery. The mandatory minimum, like all mandatory minimums, is also a bad idea and will be abused for sure.

13 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

First of all, it's puff puff pass not puff puff give. Second of all that is a stupid rule and makes no sense. The whole thing is to treat it like alcohol / tobacco and I've never been told I can't pass a beer to my friend to try a sip at a brewery. The mandatory minimum, like all mandatory minimums, is also a bad idea and will be abused for sure.

 

You sir are risking jail!

 

Laws like that do one thing: make a mockery of law in general. 

 

**Oh I'd be remiss to allude to that other thing....that @ryanlammi just mentioned. 

9 hours ago, GCrites said:

"Prohibit sharing between adults" That's right folks, no puff puff give like a bunch of hippies. Everyone has to have their own like true, freedom-loving capitalists.

 

Obviously, the genius who came up with that idea has never been to an outdoor Rock concert or other venue where the smell of Marijuana permeates the air. Sharing between adults is to remain a crime...wow. Looks like another amendment will be needed before sensible Marijuana reform in Ohio becomes a reality. I'm going to go ahead and renew my Med. MJ license/prescription and if allowed, stock up on concentrates before they get watered down. There was nothing wrong with the existing THC percentages before the measure was passed but now whatever changes are finally made will apply both to Med. MJ as well as recreational or, will there be a two-tier system?

6 hours ago, surfohio said:

That mandatory 3 day jail sentence for car passengers could get really interesting. 

 

The proposed law against sharing is just so dumb I cannot quite believe it.  

That part about a mandatory 3 day jail sentence is draconian-I'm not aware of any other state that is that harsh on car passengers. It blatantly appears that there are those who will attempt anything and everything to derail this voter initiative.  Sharing is such a vague term that just smoking a joint between two adults is deemed a crime.  I get the part about not selling homegrown to others but sitting in an empty park or on a deserted beach and sharing a J between two people could be interpreted as a violation. (actually two violations- a prohibition against public smoking and sharing between people) Imagine what would happen if that approach was taken with alcoholic beverages? An army of winos would descend on the State house-just joking of course, but the absurdity is obvious.

Today I read an interesting article citing a study that found Cannabis/Marijuana could lessen the impact of Covid 19: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/cannabis-holds-potential-to-prevent-and-reduce-severity-of-covid-19-while-treating-long-term-symptoms-study-finds/?     The source seems to be factually based and not speculative, although by it's name, Marijuana Moment, I couldn't consider it entirely unbiased. Apparently; all of the details in the Ohio House version of the No. 2 initiative becoming law haven't yet been agreed upon in the over two months since the measure was passed. An effort was put into writing the measure, to make it unambiguous and uncomplicated, but the legislative actions to this point have been anything but uncomplicated. It didn't have to be this way, IMO. An Ohio state Cannabis "Czar" has been appointed who prior to taking over these duties, was responsible for administering Alcohol regulation. That development is aligned with the intent and language of the original No 2 measure so hopefully in the end, (whenever the state House version is agreed upon and approved by vote) Cannabis will be treated, taxed, and regulated, as Alcohol has been in Ohio for decades.

Despite falling off the front page news, efforts to implement the provisions of the No. 2 initiative continue at the State House level.   The online national legislative tracking blog, Marijuana Moment, shares the latest in this drawn out effort to make Cannabis legal for adult consumption in our State:    https://www.marijuanamoment.net/ohio-officials-release-first-proposed-marijuana-licensing-rules-amid-push-for-expedited-adult-use-sales/?   "Ohio Rep. Juanita Brent (D) has emphasized that people who’ve been criminalized over marijuana, as well as those with industry experience, should be involved in any efforts to amend the state’s voter-approved legalization law, arguing that it shouldn’t be left up to “anti-cannabis” legislators alone to revise the statute."   I think those who voted in favor of the initiative, were expecting a quicker rollout and implementation but reversing and revising old Prohibition laws going back to the 1930's, takes time. The state is positioned to receive enhanced revenue from Cannabis sales but that revenue is now going to underground or out of state suppliers which is the exact opposite of what the voter initiative intended. With Ohio being the 24th state to legalize adult Cannabis sales and consumption, there are many other states with legal Cannabis laws that can be used for comparison and legal precedents. I would hope by mid-Summer that Ohio has an up and running Cannabis retail/recreational market. As far as I know, it's now legal to grow the plants but specific guidelines have yet to be decided upon. I do foresee in the future, folks may read this (dated) discussion thread and will wonder what all of the fuss was about.

If our system of government was actually modern laws would have to be re-evaluated on a regular basis to ensure they were having the intended effect. Instead these antiquated weed laws -- that should have never been enacted in the first place -- got to dig in for 100 years.

As our legislature keeps messing around Michigan keeps cashing in:

 

 

Michigan cannabis sales hit record high in 2023, creating tax windfall for governments

 

Pot sales generated $457.6 million in new taxes last year, a massive amount of money for roads, schools, and local governments

https://www.metrotimes.com/weed/michigan-cannabis-sales-hit-record-high-in-2023-creating-tax-windfall-for-governments-35304934

^ As long as Ohio's governor thinks and publicly says people are putting fentanyl in pot this stuff is probably just going to drag on. 

23 hours ago, GISguy said:

As our legislature keeps messing around Michigan keeps cashing in:

 

 

Michigan cannabis sales hit record high in 2023, creating tax windfall for governments

 

Pot sales generated $457.6 million in new taxes last year, a massive amount of money for roads, schools, and local governments

https://www.metrotimes.com/weed/michigan-cannabis-sales-hit-record-high-in-2023-creating-tax-windfall-for-governments-35304934

The State of Ohio has just published the Medical Marijuana number totals about the Cannabis industry in our state:   https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/cannabis-control/licensee-resources/what-we-do/mmcp-program-update        I saw the revenue dollar totals and if I were a legislator, I would probably be ecstatic about the potential state tax revenues from this industry:

Sales Figures (as of 1/22/2024)

228,948 lbs. of plant material

20,866,653 units of manufactured product

$1.65 billion in product sales

13,582,665 total receipts

Plant Sales Average - $17.41 per 1/10oz

Plant Sales Average - $6.15 per gram

Manufactured Sales Average - $27.82 per unit

One billion, six hundred, and sixty five million dollars (this is an official state tally) in sales? I'm wondering how that compares to liquor sales in our State? Keep in mind those totals are only from Medical Marijuana sales-once Ohio retail options become available I would expect the total sales would be double that figure, if not more. There are still those in State government who want to nip legalized recreational Marijuana in the bud (pun intended) but in doing so, they may be killing the proverbial goose laying the golden egg. Worth keeping in mind is that until Medical Marijuana was made legal in Ohio a couple of years ago, all of this money was going into the underground economy, including foreign criminal drug cartels.

23 hours ago, surfohio said:

^ As long as Ohio's governor thinks and publicly says people are putting fentanyl in pot this stuff is probably just going to drag on. 

If the Pot was obtained from illegal sources, although not likely, it could be possible. Hard drug pushers are always looking for new clients as they lose customers from overdoses. The State of Ohio can be proud of the way Medical Marijuana has been regulated and controlled in our State. All Med. MJ products are carefully tested, clearly labeled as to their contents and THC percentages, and their origins/growers are identified. As for those addicted to Opioids, getting their next fix is all that matters, not adding or mixing it with Marijuana. Old stereotypes and classic scare tactics are still alive and well. The expected tax revenues from legal Marijuana adult sales can and should be used to treat Opioid addiction which is a real problem state-wide and nationally.  Just my two cents worth...

Pennsylvania is "losing" to "friggin" Ohio?

 

On 1/31/2024 at 2:19 PM, John S. said:

If the Pot was obtained from illegal sources, although not likely, it could be possible. Hard drug pushers are always looking for new clients as they lose customers from overdoses. The State of Ohio can be proud of the way Medical Marijuana has been regulated and controlled in our State. All Med. MJ products are carefully tested, clearly labeled as to their contents and THC percentages, and their origins/growers are identified. As for those addicted to Opioids, getting their next fix is all that matters, not adding or mixing it with Marijuana. Old stereotypes and classic scare tactics are still alive and well. The expected tax revenues from legal Marijuana adult sales can and should be used to treat Opioid addiction which is a real problem state-wide and nationally.  Just my two cents worth...

 

It's not unheard of, even back in the day pot was sometimes contaminated with angel dust.

 

Which is another reason to legalize and regulate it.    Poisonous "bathtub gin" isn't a problem any more, after all.

1 hour ago, John S. said:

Pennsylvania is "losing" to "friggin" Ohio?

 

 

PA had strange idiotic laws for buying alcohol for YEARS. 

 

Probably some combination of nanny state overreach and corrupt big corporate d-baggery.  

I mean, labyrinthine alcohol laws are right there in The Bible. Jesus didn't want people buying cold six packs to go anywhere but a bar. He said so.

6 hours ago, E Rocc said:

Which is another reason to legalize and regulate it.    Poisonous "bathtub gin" isn't a problem any more, after all.

This is one of the strongest arguments for the full legalization of illicit drugs. 

11 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

This is one of the strongest arguments for the full legalization of illicit drugs. 

 

Long term, yes.   I'd limit it to pot right now, and work on the problems it would cause (way less than the problems caused by prohibition, but they are real) before moving on.

16 hours ago, surfohio said:

 

PA had strange idiotic laws for buying alcohol for YEARS. 

 

Probably some combination of nanny state overreach and corrupt big corporate d-baggery.  

 

That's Pennsylvania in general, they have a more controlling state government because their people are less prone to push back.

 

I remember an editorial cartoon early on in the virus where Squidward (Pennsylvanians) was cooped up watching Sponge Bob and Patrick play outside.   Our rules were never close to as strict as theirs, but we pushed back first.

16 hours ago, GCrites said:

I mean, labyrinthine alcohol laws are right there in The Bible. Jesus didn't want people buying cold six packs to go anywhere but a bar. He said so.

 

Oklahoma had some weird laws where beer stronger than 3.2 could only be sold in liquor stores and they couldn't sell it cold, so you may be right.

Yeah a buddy of mine got sent there by the military and said he got fat off of all that 3.2 beer he had to drink. Had to just pound them. This was probably 20 years ago.

On 2/8/2024 at 10:28 AM, GCrites said:

Yeah a buddy of mine got sent there by the military and said he got fat off of all that 3.2 beer he had to drink. Had to just pound them. This was probably 20 years ago.

 

I was there a little before then.   I just drank mixed booze because it could be chilled with ice.

Efforts by Ohio GOP to Restrict Marijuana Legalization Have Stalled Out

 

Lawmakers have yet to bring changes to Ohio’s new marijuana law over the finish line. 

 

The Ohio Senate passed a bill in December with major changes to the marijuana law, but the Ohio House, once again, did not bring that bill to the floor to concur during last Wednesday’s session and has not moved its own bill.

 

“It’s a complex issue,” Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, told reporters last Tuesday. 

 

Marijuana has been legal in Ohio since December after Ohioans passed Issue 2 in November — prompting lawmakers in both chambers to come up with legislation to tweak the current law.

 

Issue 2 was a citizen initiative, meaning Ohio lawmakers can propose and pass modifications to the new law after the election.

 

Ohioans can’t legally purchase marijuana yet, but they can grow their own — six plants per person with 12 plants per residence.

 

Issue 2 created the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce, which expects to complete the rulemaking process for non-medical cannabis licensing applications by June 7 and plans to start giving provisional licenses for non-medical cannabis facilities by Sept. 7, Jamie Crawford, PIO of the Ohio Department of Commerce, said in an email.

Sales of recreational marijuana can’t happen until licenses are issued and facilities are certified. 

 

Issue 2 also creates 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. 

 

“Issue 2 puts in place a full regulatory framework … We don’t need the legislature to do anything,” said Tom Haren, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/efforts-by-ohio-gop-to-restrict-marijuana-legalization-have-stalled-out-ocj1/

Wondering here if any of the other states (23 in additional to Ohio) that legalized adult use of Marijuana had such a long and convoluted rollout as is shaping up in Ohio? The legal conundrum of Pot being legal in our State without outlets to legally purchase it, is confusing, to say the least. It is also legal in Ohio to grow up to six plants but do State guidelines provide any citizen information or recommendations about home cultivation? Where is one supposed to (legally) obtain seeds of chosen desirable plant strains? I personally object to outdoor cultivation at home on several grounds. (enticement for minors and/or thieves, accidental spread of seeds to neighbors) Moreover, potency levels for home grown Marijuana is unknown which goes back to how asinine it is to try to regulate THC potency levels. I've stated this fact before, THC is an organic compound and begins to break down and become inert after harvesting. I noted that some medical MJ purchased last October had package dates of April of last year meaning that it was already six months old at the time of purchase. Now, the small amount remaining is over 10 months old and despite being kept under freezing storage, has unquestionably lost potency.  It's not at all like alcohol which, if stored properly, can even last for decades while still retaining it's alcohol content. In summary, Marijuana doesn't improve with age.

 

The inability of the State legislature to finalize and implement the passing of Issue 2 is doing no one any favors. (except possibly those who opposed Issue 2) Representative Juanita Brent (D) opined: (Marijuana Moment, an online Blog on the topic: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/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.”

 

Indications are that legal Marijuana will not be available statewide until almost the end of this year.  Michigan Pot shops and various street level "entrepreneurs" should rejoice over that. I recall out on the West Coast there were boutique type businesses that sold indoor growing supplies- can we expect to see those businesses spring up in Ohio? Again, shouldn't there be some State guidelines for safe indoor home cultivation? Households with young children should be particularly careful about home cultivation because young children of a certain age are known to put almost anything in their mouths. Deer and livestock also love the Cannabis' plant's taste. In the end, if everything is carefully considered and then even more carefully implemented, there should be no more controversy over legal Marijuana sales in Ohio than there is with alcohol sales. The current delay is grudgingly acceptable provided the State takes this extra time to get everything right. I did see a new Marijuana leaf decal on a local liquor business entry door but decided not to ask the proprietors about it.  I suspect it was for some kind of Delta 8 THC infused product which fits into a grey legal area in some states without legal Marijuana containing Delta 9 THC.

WCBE 90.5 FM Columbus has a 28 minute podcast about the guidelines and framework the state is considering for implementation of the Measure 2 initiative: https://www.wcbe.org/podcast/protecting-what-matters/2024-02-12/non-medical-marijuana-breaking-down-ohios-first-set-of-proposed-rules     The current recommendation is for those patients qualifying for Ohio Medical Marijuana to continue keeping their prescription licenses in effect until non-medical availability improves.  Not surprisingly, the Cannabis sales numbers from Michigan in January alone: "Michigan retailers sold $242.8 million worth of legal marijuana products in January." (source: Marijuana Moment Blog) The Michigan Pot shops should have an Ohio customer appreciation sale week with discounts for Ohio customers. Meanwhile, back in Columbus...

Cannabis Farmers Market This Weekend in Cleveland

 

Although the weekend wintry forecast may make things a bit dicey,  a solution to the grow-your-own in Ohio dilemma may be at hand:  https://fox8.com/news/cannabis-farmers-market-in-cleveland-this-weekend/     The unanswered question about how adult individuals can grow (legally up to six plants) Pot/Cannabis/Marijuana without access to seeds has been addressed as the event announcement indicates that growing supplies, seeds, and perhaps germinated seedlings may be available. Growing good quality Cannabis isn't easy-it takes an optimum combination of lights, nutrients and growing conditions to grow good Cannabis. Admission to the event is stated as $15 per (adult) person. I hope if any Forumers can go, that they would be willing to share what went on and what they learned.

Personally, I'm also wondering since the status and nature of this topic has changed in the two years since it was created if it shouldn't be moved to a different category about Ohio culture and lifestyle as the political aspects have changed markedly since the No. 2 initiative was approved by voters last year.

 

Have a pleasant 420 weekend!

Stark County Sheriff answers Recreational Marijuana questions from a Law Enforcement perspective

 

From the Canton Repository:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/whats-legal-stark-sheriffs-office-151816272.html  Good read- I learned a few things and got answers to several questions.

3 hours ago, John S. said:

Stark County Sheriff answers Recreational Marijuana questions from a Law Enforcement perspective

 

From the Canton Repository:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/whats-legal-stark-sheriffs-office-151816272.html  Good read- I learned a few things and got answers to several questions.

 

"Kennedy said his department has had situations where children got access to marijuana, were taken to Akron Children's Hospital and nearly died."

 

Okay, making sure that kids don't ingest drugs is extremely important, but this kind of hyperbole needs to stop. The majority of experts on the matter contend that it's not possible for children to die of a marijuana overdose. It's not hard to educate yourself on all this, so when police and the Governor himself say these things it just damages their credibility. 

Just like D.A.R.E. where if you smoke weed, you die.

 

Cops don't realize that when they oversell like this they lose all credibility. They do it in court too so if anyone on a jury has ever worked in sales they immediately discount what the cop is saying. When you oversell you lose the sale.

It’s common sense to store your cannabis out of reach of children. The same way you would household cleaning solutions or any other legitimate, but harmful substance that is used on a daily basis. How many children were harmed eating tide pods that were improperly stored. Eating a bunch of cannabis gummies is infinitely better than ingesting detergent. 

let alone kids butt-chugging tide pods

 

Anybody remember the 2007 jenkem scare?

Indiana and Illinois are also big consumers of Michigan pot sales. The price in Illinois is like 3 times higher than similar products in Michigan, plus a higher tax rate on it. Ohio would get a ton of business from Indiana and it would eat into the Michigan money train. Indianapolis is closer to Ohio than Michigan. They need to get this done in Ohio.

18 hours ago, surfohio said:

 

"Kennedy said his department has had situations where children got access to marijuana, were taken to Akron Children's Hospital and nearly died."

 

Okay, making sure that kids don't ingest drugs is extremely important, but this kind of hyperbole needs to stop. The majority of experts on the matter contend that it's not possible for children to die of a marijuana overdose. It's not hard to educate yourself on all this, so when police and the Governor himself say these things it just damages their credibility. 

 Very true., but that is the same mindset that put Cannabis on Schedule I of the DEA's harmful drugs list right up there with Fentanyl and Heroin. Perhaps some may remember a daycare in NYC where opioids were being stashed and distributed out of a Daycare facility, Some curious toddlers found the stash and one child did overdoes and die. (from Fentanyl) If one is an older Law Enforcement officer, he or she will remember the decades long war on drugs.  Pot, though recognized for some time as less harmful than some other known addictive drugs, was still considered dangerous and life threatening. The ultimate demonstration of ignorance about Cannabis was on full display in the 1930's movie Reefer Madness. Over the years, I've seen more people than I can count cop a Cannabis buzz and not a single one acted like any of the characters in that movie. Instead of looking laid back and relaxed, the buffoon characters were "amped" up like they were on Meth and carrying through with that charade, they predictably turned violently agitated and psychotic. On a 60 Minutes Sunday news program several years ago that looked into the the phenomenon of Cannabis lounges in Colorado, I will never forget an interview with the proprietor who had owned a liquor bar beforehand and he was asked would he prefer a liquor clientele in his establishment or a Cannabis clientele. Without hesitation, he said the Cannabis crowd. He explained that the difference was obvious at the end of the day: In the liquor environment, things could get rowdy and even fights would break out and police would have to be summoned. The alcohol consuming clients were sloppy and often left behind a mess to be cleaned up. The Cannabis clientele, on the other hand, were far less rowdy (unless they had been drinking too) and left behind far less of a mess with some even asking if they could help clean up around their area before going home. Legal recreational Pot is a new phenomenon in Ohio and there's still a lot of ignorance and uncertainties about Cannabis in general among the Law Enforcement community and legislators which leads to comments like children being at risk of death from accidental pot ingestion. I think if you were to go around all of the hospitals in the state and request statistics on the numbers of  direct fatal Marijuana "overdoses", they would sheepishly say, well, none, actually.

 

That should not be interpreted as Cannabis being safe for kids or minors, period. Medicinal extracts from the Cannabis plant (such as CBD Oil) have been shown to be helpful in treating children with seizures and epilepsy and are allowed in most states, even Texas, although still highly restricted. The road from considering the plant physically dangerous and addictive to socially acceptable and recognized for what it actually is, remains long and arduous. Perhaps a hopeful sign of changing Ohio attitudes was the question posed to the Sheriff in the aforementioned interview when asked if a person was arrested and found to have Cannabis in their possession would it be confiscated or not?  The answer was interesting-if the amount taken during the arrest was under the 2.5 ounce state legal limit, it would be returned to the individual upon release. Now that's a sure sign the times are a-changin'.

Of particular interest to Women...honestly, I can't make this stuff up.  Medical Marijuana is now being considered at the State level as an approved treatment for Female Orgasmic Difficulty Disorder (FOD) so if approved, Cannabis availability may lead to sexual bliss for some women:  https://med.ohio.gov/about-the-board/communications/news/medical-board-considers-new-qualifying-conditions-2024         Cannabis has long been associated with having libido effects on both genders.  The Ohio State Medical Board is asking for input from citizens and medical/scientific professionals regarding adding Cannabis as a recognized treatment for F.O.D. and Autism Spectrum Disorder. I could make some comments based on personal experience about the aphrodisiac effects of Cannabis but there are probably others who could make a better case than I could.

Ohio regulators prepping to open more than 200 pot shops 'in the blink of an eye'

 

Ohio's voter-enacted law legalizing recreational marijuana comes with tight deadlines for state regulators used to a more deliberate process.

 

The state's newly created Division of Cannabis Control is trying to write and finalize rules in time to release applications for dispensary licenses June 7 and issue those licenses by Sept. 7 – and the agency doesn't yet know how many licenses, said Jim Canepa, the division's superintendent.

 

"Basically, overnight we are going to add 200 to 250 dispensaries on the map in the blink of an eye," Canepa said Wednesday during a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum on the new law. "That’s not the normal state of affairs."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/02/21/ohio-recreational-marijuana-forum.html

 

There's a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction among those who thought the passage of the No. 2 initiative would quickly open up a legal adult Cannabis market in Ohio. I checked the dispensary where I used to purchase Med. MJ and it is still Medical Cannabis sales, only, with no date set for dual medical/recreational sales to begin.  Even Governor Dewine would like to see the matter settled and put into effect, but things continue to drag on.  This addition of 200-250 (why not an exact number based on how many "10-B"  business permits are decided upon?) in the "blink of an eye" means little except that it will likely be September or even later before they are distributed and then it will take more time for the new dispensaries to open, and for existing Medical Cannabis dispensaries to add more inventory and staff to accommodate new non-medical customers. As it appears right now, only those growing their own plants have much of a chance to see the fruits of their labor before the end of 2024. (probably should have gone to the growers market event in Cleveland last weekend) Here's the current situation update: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-ohio-democratic-senator-says-house-gop-failure-to-speed-up-marijuana-sales-is-a-disservice-to-voters/?

On Channel 6 there was a panel stating that any dispensaries that aren't doing medical already won't be opening until at least 2026.

5 hours ago, John S. said:

There's a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction among those who thought the passage of the No. 2 initiative would quickly open up a legal adult Cannabis market in Ohio. I checked the dispensary where I used to purchase Med. MJ and it is still Medical Cannabis sales, only, with no date set for dual medical/recreational sales to begin.  Even Governor Dewine would like to see the matter settled and put into effect, but things continue to drag on.  This addition of 200-250 (why not an exact number based on how many "10-B"  business permits are decided upon?) in the "blink of an eye" means little except that it will likely be September or even later before they are distributed and then it will take more time for the new dispensaries to open, and for existing Medical Cannabis dispensaries to add more inventory and staff to accommodate new non-medical customers. As it appears right now, only those growing their own plants have much of a chance to see the fruits of their labor before the end of 2024. (probably should have gone to the growers market event in Cleveland last weekend) Here's the current situation update: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-ohio-democratic-senator-says-house-gop-failure-to-speed-up-marijuana-sales-is-a-disservice-to-voters/?

 

If it's like alcohol licensing, then I would expect that the state license will come at the end of the process of building out the dispensaries i.e.- the state licenses completed facilities, not plans for facilities.  So I would expect once those licenses are approved, those businesses will open post haste.

More information is coming forth indicating the statewide recreational Cannabis market won't appear before 2026: https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/02/23/ohio-recreational-marijuana-update-sit-down-interview-with-superintendent-ohio-cannabis-control-division/

 

The key fact from the interview is: "New licenses for businesses solely focused on recreational marijuana won’t be issued until at least two years after the initial round goes to medical dispensaries."

As a former Medical MJ patient, it looks like I'll need to renew my expired card which requires a new doctor's consultation and recommendation as well as re-registration, costing about $200, as I recall. Alternately, I could just skip the whole issue and not partake for a couple of years, but that was the whole purpose behind voting for initiative No. 2.. I refuse to seek out street MJ which can range in quality from being comparable to Med MJ to worse than ditch-weed.  Such unknown sourced Cannabis could also contain adulterants and/or pesticide residues. A small positive change to note is the reduction of State Med MJ registration fees as noted in the email sent out by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control-attached. But the State Med MJ registration fees have always been far less than the costs of a doctor's consultation-still, any reduction in Med MJ card fees is a positive. I'm also not aware of any changes in the medically qualifying conditions which in Ohio are fairly limited. Other states are fairly lax in their list of qualifying conditions for a patient to obtain Medical Cannabis. At least one I've seen was based solely on age. (65 and over)  I've yet to see any loosening of the Ohio Medical qualifying rules.  Looks like the only lower cost path for obtaining Cannabis may be to grow your own but for the added indoor equipment and supplies, the costs would be as much if not more than going the Medical MJ card route. At the State legislative level, it doesn't seem that anyone is in any hurry despite the obvious negative consequences of dragging out the supply issue problem for two years or longer. If there was more solid support at the legislative level, the whole issue could have been resolved within weeks, not years. It's been years since I've visited Michigan but I hear it's pretty nice and green around there in the Springtime.

1 hour ago, John S. said:

More information is coming forth indicating the statewide recreational Cannabis market won't appear before 2026: https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/02/23/ohio-recreational-marijuana-update-sit-down-interview-with-superintendent-ohio-cannabis-control-division/

 

The key fact from the interview is: "New licenses for businesses solely focused on recreational marijuana won’t be issued until at least two years after the initial round goes to medical dispensaries."

 

It seems like there are already a lot of medical dispensaries, so regulated recreational marijuana should be available sooner. 

Yeah as long as the existing medical dispensaries can switch to recreational ones they should be sufficient until new ones can come on board.  This roll out has been ridiculously stupid and slow though but par the course from the morons running this states government. 

I've seen no indication that our Ohio Medical Marijuana dispensaries intend to expand into recreational MJ sales anytime before mid Summer. A Pew Research study shared by the online blog Marijuana Minute revealed that, not surprisingly, the greatest proliferation and concentration of dispensaries appear to be in States bordering other states that are without legal Cannabis. At least for now in relation to Ohio, Michigan comes to mind and the map shows it. The article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/eight-in-ten-americans-have-a-marijuana-dispensary-in-their-county-and-shops-cluster-near-borders-with-illegal-states-pew-analysis-shows/?

 

 

From the Marijuana Moment blog item: The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control says the rollout of recreational Marijuana is "on schedule" with sales to begin in June (Fox news 19 article)   https://www.fox19.com/2024/03/07/head-ohio-cannabis-division-says-legal-sales-process-is-schedule/    

 

 

As Cannabis-Pot-Weed legalization continues to spread across our country, two veteran anti-Drug crusaders, former U.S. Attorney General, William P. Barr (R) and former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, J.P. Walters, (who worked under George Bush) Have written a familiar anti-marijuana legalization op-ed jointly for The Free Press, titled: Weed is Dangerous-Legalizing it was a Mistake. They compare and correlate the decline of America with Pot legalization. If solving all of this country's societal ills was so simple, why wasn't Pot causing the decline before it was made legal in many states? Be prepared for the same old scare tactics, weed scape-goating, stereotypes, and controversial arguments. Some things never seem to change... (article link courtesy of Marijuana Minute, an online advocacy blog) https://www.thefp.com/p/weed-is-dangerous-legalizing-mistake-barr

They are such whiners about people not going to church. Too much Republican influence on the economy created a nation of night and weekend work that made people unable to go. It's the Republican's own fault -- not weed's -- and they want to blame something else. It makes people stay home and smoke weed because their schedules are so bad that they can't participate in the rest of society including church.

Edited March 16, 20241 yr by GCrites

1 hour ago, John S. said:

As Cannabis-Pot-Weed legalization continues to spread across our country, two veteran anti-Drug crusaders, former U.S. Attorney General, William P. Barr (R) and former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, J.P. Walters, (who worked under George Bush) Have written a familiar anti-marijuana legalization op-ed jointly for The Free Press, titled: Weed is Dangerous-Legalizing it was a Mistake. They compare and correlate the decline of America with Pot legalization. If solving all of this country's societal ills was so simple, why wasn't Pot causing the decline before it was made legal in many states? Be prepared for the same old scare tactics, weed scape-goating, stereotypes, and controversial arguments. Some things never seem to change... (article link courtesy of Marijuana Minute, an online advocacy blog) https://www.thefp.com/p/weed-is-dangerous-legalizing-mistake-barr

 

Geez, they can't even hold off on the strawmen arguments till the body of the article.