COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Recreational marijuana has been legal in Ohio for two months despite being impossible to legally purchase, but lawmakers are rolling around a few options to change that.
Last year, Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana. The law decriminalizes possession, allows for home-grow, and eventually, recreational dispensaries will open in Ohio.
“It’s just a huge change, it’s a huge industry and it is brand new,” Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said.
But Governor Mike DeWine said there are holes in the law, like no guidelines for advertising, and no place to legally buy it.
Back in December, state senators passed a bill to allow medical dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana, put guardrails up for advertising and decrease the number of plants someone can grow in their home. However, that bill hasn’t cleared every hurdle to become law.
“I think the main thing is how do we get this regulated industry, so a safe product goes out,” Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said.
The House introduced its own bill to put some regulations in place. But it has not had a hearing since last year and will not have one next week, leaving leadership in each chamber at odds.
“I’d like to try to take a shot at seeing something back to the house by the end of February,” Huffman said.
“We want to be very deliberative on what happens as far as legislation from the House is concerned on marijuana,” Stephens said. “I’m sure eventually, as with all issues, there will be some sort of legislative action. Will it be anything that is a total remake of what was voted on? Absolutely not.”
Stephens said his goal is to get something done in the spring. The House and Senate each have one more session currently scheduled before taking the month of March off.
Both DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted have urged the passage of a bill.
Huffman said this week he had good conversations about how to move that forward both with DeWine and with some house members.
“Real progress, no different ideas,” Huffman said. “Perhaps different pathways are beginning.”
Huffman says he is hopeful something can get done for legal sales within the next month. At the start of January, during the House session, Representative Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) wanted to introduce an amendment to House Bill 258, to create a legal market through medical dispensaries; Stephens did not take it up.
“Same show, different verse,” Stephens said. “We are working on getting something that is a consensus, and we want to try and continue to do that.”
That is despite the governor’s concern of legal limbo with a legal market but no legal shops.
“I don’t know that it’s legal limbo. It’s the law that was passed and it’s the runway that’s coming,” Stephens said. “In due time it will come to fruition as far as how those sales will be done and all the other things.”
“People are going to be selling or conveying a product that is unregulated and therefore dangerous,” Huffman said.
The Senate’s bill would address that issue, allowing medical dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana on the effective date of the bill, which is usually 90 days after it is signed into law.
“Let’s set up the regulations that allow that to happen,” Huffman said.
“I’m okay with that, but I think it’s better to wait a few weeks or a month or two to get it right,” Stephens said.
Stephens said one of his priorities as far as marijuana legislation goes is getting the tax numbers right.
“If we get the economics correct then that’s going to take care of the black market to the most extent,” Stephens said.
DeWine also wants lawmakers to act on delta-8 THC.