State lawmakers have rejected a series of legislative proposals that sought to curtail how and where patients could access and use medical cannabis.
Author: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
NORML has long opined that patients must have access to cannabis flowers, stating: “Orally administered non-herbal forms of cannabis possess delayed onset and their effects are far less predictable than those of herbal cannabis.
“We are ready and eager to work with Ohio legislators over the next four months to legalize the adult use of marijuana in Ohio,” CTRMLA spokesman Tom Haren said in a press release. “We are also fully prepared to collect additional signatures and take this issue directly to voters on November 8, 2022, if legislators fail to act.”
This vote is the latest of many actions taken by lawmakers to undue voters’ actions on Election Day, when they approved a pair of ballot initiatives legalizing marijuana for both medical and adult-use purposes.
“A patient’s treatment options should not be limited by the government, but rather should be determined in confidence between a patient and their doctor. Doctors should be fully empowered to decide what treatment options are best — free from political interference.”
The updated purchasing rule, which increases the quantity of cannabis flower a customer can buy per transaction from one ounce to two ounces, took effect on January 1.
Following the validation of 132,887 signatures by state officials, lawmakers will have up to four months to consider the legalization measure. If lawmakers fail to act on the proposal, organizers will then need to collect an additional 132,887 signatures to place it before voters on the November 2022 ballot.
Under the newly signed law, the possession of personal use quantities of cannabis by adults will no longer be subject to civil penalties. Furthermore, police may no longer cite the odor of cannabis as justification for engaging in a warrantless search.