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Ohio Ballot Board sets language for proposed recreational marijuana law
The Ohio Ballot Board unanimously voted Thursday to solidify the language voters will see for the proposed recreational marijuana law in the November election. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol is backing the ballot proposal which would legalize and regulate cultivation, manufacturing, testing and the sale of marijuana to Ohioans 21 and up. It would […]
Medical marijuana cultivation sites could also harvest adult-use weed, if Ohio initiative passes
Thousands of marijuana plants grow in a highly controlled environment from seed to harvest at a cultivation facility in Buckeye Lake. PharmaCann, Inc., a Level I medical marijuana cultivation facility, harvests 36 times a year in Licking County. “Everything’s controlled,” PharmaCann Manager of Cultivation Tommy Black said. “Everything from the light, the light’s intensity to […]
Good Works provides housing to people in nine Southeastern Ohio counties
This is the second part of an ongoing series looking at homelessness and housing insecurity in rural Ohio counties. Read the first story here. Keith Wasserman opened up his remodeled basement to people experiencing homelessness more than four decades ago and hasn’t looked back. He asked his professors at Ohio University if he could do […]
Turning Point Home offers housing for survivors of human trafficking in Ohio
A new home for human trafficking survivors is opening soon in downtown Columbus. Turning Point Home, located on E. Broad St., can house up to eight women survivors of human trafficking at a time. Cheryl Kirkham, executive director of the Turning Point Home, first got the idea for the house years ago when she was […]
A vast shortage of homeless shelters: Housing insecurity in Ohio’s Appalachian counties
This is the first part of an ongoing series looking at homelessness and housing insecurity in rural Ohio counties. The Adams County Shelter for the Homeless can house up to 17 individuals at a time. But that is only able to shelter a fraction of those facing housing insecurity in the Appalachian county on the […]
Proposed recreational marijuana law is headed to the November ballot in Ohio
A proposed recreational marijuana law will be on Ohio’s November ballot after all. The Secretary of State’s office verified 4,405 additional valid petition signatures — bringing the grand total to 127,772, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Wednesday in a letter to the campaign. 124,046 signatures were needed. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol’s […]
Ohio universities issue new report of hazing incidents under Collin’s Law
Ohio State University resolved eight hazing incidents so far this year, according to the university’s latest Collin’s Law report. Hazing became a felony in Ohio in 2021 when Gov. Mike DeWine signed Collin’s Law: Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Act into law. Previously, hazing was a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The law is named after Collin Wiant, an 18-year-old Ohio […]
Marijuana initiative could end up on Ohio November ballot alongside reproductive rights amendment
Legalizing recreational marijuana could be on the November ballot in Ohio alongside the reproductive rights amendment — which could bode well for those hoping to legalize cannabis, legal experts say. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol is trying to get a citizen-initiative on the ballot that would legalize and regulate cultivation, manufacturing, testing and […]
Gov. DeWine highlights science of reading provisions in the new state budget
Students arranged red and blue letters to spell various words such as “lip,” “twin,” and “keys.” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and first lady Fran DeWine observed about two dozen children, ages 3-6, spelling words at Columbus Montessori Education Center Thursday morning. The schools aligns with the science of reading, which is based on decades of […]
Ohio’s Issue 1 goes down to defeat
The Republican-led effort to make amending Ohio’s constitution more difficult has failed. As of 11:45 p.m., unofficial results for the Aug. 8 special election show voters rejected Issue 1 57% to 43%. The Associated Press called the race at 9 p.m. While precincts were still reporting late into the night and absentee ballots will continue […]
What Ohio amendments wouldn’t have passed with a 60% threshold?
Only white men would be able to enlist in the Ohio National Guard. Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo wouldn’t have casinos. Ohio’s governor wouldn’t have term limits. Ohioans would only have the option of straight-ticket voting at the polls. These are just some of the amendments to the Ohio constitution that passed, but received less […]
“Critical but often overlooked,” Ohioans face challenges when accessing dental care
Dr. Darcy Cook will never forget a particular patient whose teeth she was trying to save. The patient was a recovering drug addict who kept missing appointments — only making her dental issues worse. But the patient wasn’t oversleeping or intentionally missing appointments. Instead, she was homeless with a pay as you go phone and […]