COLOMBUS, Ohio — While marijuana in Ohio costs more than twice as much as Michigan, state lawmakers want it to be even more expensive and powerful.
He dealt with Crohn’s disease since he was a child and felt Terrell Washington was stuck until he had access to marijuana.
“Because I’m using cannabis, I took off my medicine and I’m in remission from Crohn’s disease,” Washington told me.
He wanted to help people like him, so he founded Leaf Leaf Pharmacy, which now sells marijuana to both medical patients and recreational users.
“The business was good, but as we learned, it’s not so comfortable with cannabis in Ohio,” he continued.
He worries that his business will suffer under the latest attempts to regulate the Ohio Legislator’s marijuana policy.
“When we legalized marijuana, there was an entire group of social issues that created it,” said House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima).
In November 2023, voters overwhelmingly passed Issue 2. This allowed adults over the age of 21 to smoke, steam and ingest weeds. Individual Ohio states can grow up to 12 plants per household. The clinic was able to sell recreational services from August 6th, 2024.
Since then, lawmakers like Huffman have been trying to change the law.
Recently, Republicans introduced Senate Bill 56, which has dozens of changes, most notably reducing THC content and limiting home growth to six from 12 plants.
Related: What will the proposed Senate bill mean for the future of recreational marijuana?
“We’re trying to get it a little more rational. We’re continuing to use it for adults, but a little more rational,” state Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) asked. He stated in his response. Some of his testimonies from bill sponsors.
Matt Huffman’s cousin Steve Huffman is a doctor and has helped him lead all marijuana medical and recreational bills over the years.
“The bill is about government efficiency, consumer and child safety, and maintaining access to voter-approved adult marijuana,” the senator said.
The psychoactive cannabinoid THC concludes with 100 milligrams per package. Of the 61 edible products purchased on the Leaf Relief website, only 12 were under 100mg. It also reduces tolerable THC levels in adult extracts up to 90% to 70%.
The bill also raises costs. Currently, there is a 10% tax at the time of sale. The GOP Act will raise it to 15%, but Gov. Mike DeWine suggested it to 20%.
“This money can be spent, we can spend it on what we really think would make a difference, and frankly, we wouldn’t do it to spend that money on marijuana,” the governor said.
Washington said this could destroy his local business.
“Do you think this can raise the price of customers?” I asked the clinic owner.
“100%,” he replied. “It’s going to hurt clinics, cultivators and processors around the state because it pushes people into the black market.”
“Is this something that can push people into Michigan?” I asked.
“100%,” he replied. “When it comes to cannabis, I don’t know why we’re no longer professional business. We advertise ourselves as pro-Ohioan, a pro-business in all other sectors, but here we try to adjust the industry. The ground appears to be abandoning the traditional beliefs of the party that makes it.”
I looked into it. Ohio costs around $192 per ounce of marijuana, while Michigan costs less than $84, according to data from states’ regulatory departments since the end of January. A gram per Michigan is nearly $3, while Ohio is close to $7.
There may be many reasons for this, including the fact that Ohio’s industry is much newer than Michigan’s industry right now.
The key to lifting it is that if Buckeye state doubles its tax, it is likely that it will lose (again) to the north states.
Additionally, taxes do not go to the electorate’s chosen location. Issue 2 created five funds for the state Department of Treasury. It is a division of the Adult Use Tax Fund, Cannabis Social Equity and Employment Fund, Host Community Cannabis Fund, Substance Abuse and Addiction Fund, and Cannabis Control and Tax Commission Fund.
Instead, all income from taxes goes to the state’s general income fund. This means lawmakers can choose to put that money into what they want.
All of these changes make Washington angry because he said it wasn’t a voter’s choice.
Senate leaders say they don’t ignore the will of people because they really didn’t know everything the voters were voting for.
“I think that’s a perfect example of the arrogance of some leaders and disrespect to their members,” the clinic owner said.
What’s next?
SB 56 was voted by the committee on Wednesday, bumping into the Senate floor and able to send it to the House.
Speaker Huffman, who said he wanted to significantly change the state’s marijuana laws in December, looked like his heart had changed in January. He backtracked at least some of his proposed restrictions after meeting with state legislator marijuana enthusiasts.
State Assemblyman Jamie Calendar (R-Concord), who blocked dramatic changes from passing Huffman’s final general meeting, will help him meet with speakers and teach him about drugs and current policies. He said.
He has helped many other Republicans deal with the legalization of cannabis, Calendar said.
Ohio GOP backtrack on recreational marijuana restrictions
Related: Ohio GOP Backtrack on Recreational Marijuana Restrictions
Carefully optimistic, lawmakers say future legislative changes could affect Delta-8 and other unregulated hemp, in addition to raising medical marijuana restrictions to the same level as recreational. He explained that it is expensive.
The clinic told me they hoped they were but still worried.
“This will affect all Ohio, so we encourage all Ohio people, which encourages politicians to put local government and Ohio first.
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