marijuana laws

Ohio Democratic representatives file ‘joint’ bill to legalize recreational weed on 4/20

BY: - April 22, 2022

The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.   April 20 — or World Weed Day — was the perfect […]

Activist holds a flag featuring hemp during protest outside White House

U.S. House votes to decriminalize marijuana in federal law

BY: - April 1, 2022

The U.S. House passed legislation Friday to legalize marijuana nationally, but its future is much less clear in the Senate. The House voted 220-204 to approve the measure, which would fix the split between federal law and 19 states where recreational marijuana is legal. Three Republicans joined all but two Democrats in approving the measure. […]

Federal law still treats marijuana as an illegal drug, creating headaches for states

BY: - December 27, 2021

Most states in the U.S. are in violation of a major federal drug statute. The 1971 Controlled Substances Act lists marijuana in the most dangerous category defined in the law, on par with cocaine and heroin because of its supposed potential for abuse and lack of medical applications. But 36 states plus the District of […]

COMMENTARY

What would the public health and safety impacts of cannabis legalization be in Ohio?

BY: - September 7, 2021

Last Monday, a panel of state officials approved ballot language for recreational cannabis legalization in the state of Ohio, clearing the way for backers to begin collecting signatures for the initiative. According to reports, the ballot language for this initiative is similar to a bill introduced by state Reps. Casey Weinstein and Terrence Upchurch to […]

COMMENTARY

Recreational cannabis could raise hundreds of millions in new revenue

BY: - March 25, 2021

In November of last year, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all legalized recreational use of cannabis. While reasoning for legalization of recreational cannabis range from racial justice to economic growth, one benefit that has many state legislators interested is tax revenue. Last year, each state that had legalized recreational cannabis raised at least […]