Ohio lawmakers officially file the first law to legalize cannabis

By Nina Zdinjak

A bill to legalize the possession, production and sale of cannabis was officially filed for the first time in the state of Ohio on Friday. The bill was tabled by State Representatives Casey Weinstein (D) and Terrence Upchurch (D) after weeks of trying to gain more support for the proposal, Marijuana Moment reported.

“It’s time to take Ohio forward,” said Weinstein. “This is a big step for criminal justice reform, for our veterans, for economic opportunity and for our individual freedoms.”

Photo by traveler1116 / Getty Images

The 180-page measure proposes legalizing the possession of up to five ounces of cannabis for adults 21 years and older and the cultivation of up to 12 plants for personal use. Some of the provisions aim to overturn previous convictions for owning and growing small quantities of cannabis.

“More than legalization”

“This law is badly needed in Ohio, and it is time Ohio became a national leader in the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana.” Upchurch specified. “This draft law is not just about legalization, but also about economic and personnel development, about decriminalization and about health care! It is now time and I look forward to doing this across party lines. “

RELATED: Ohio House Dems To Be Filing First Act To Legalize Adult Cannabis

While many expect that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) will oppose the bill, with many more optimistic, based on the fact that efforts over the past few years have shown that a large majority of Ohio voters support marijuana legalization.

The Ohio Department of Commerce would be responsible for administering the legal cannabis program and issuing business licenses. The proposal highlighted that Ohio’s current medical marijuana program would not be affected by the recreational market.

A 10% excise tax would be levied on the sale of marijuana, with the proceeds being used first for implementation costs and then divided between municipalities with at least one cannabis business (15%), counties with at least one business (15%) -12 Education ( 35%) and infrastructure (35%).

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.