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Ohio lawmakers formally introduce adult use legalization bill.
In mid-July, Ohio Reps. Casey Weinstein and Terrence Upchurch announced that they would draft an adult use legalization bill. On Friday, they introduced the bill, and plan to hold a town hall in the coming weeks to share more about their plan.
“This bill is much needed in Ohio, and it’s time for Ohio to become a national leader in marijuana decriminalization and legalization,” said Upchurch in the announcement. “The time is now, and I look forward to getting this done in a bipartisan fashion.”
The bill legalizes cannabis cultivation, possession, and consumption for adults; would expunge some past cannabis convictions; would create a 10 percent excise tax on cannabis sales; and would put that tax revenue toward “primary and secondary (K-12) education, for the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, and up to $20 million annually for two years would be used for clinical trials researching the efficacy of marijuana in treating the medical conditions of veterans and preventing veteran suicide.”
“It’s time to lead Ohio forward,” said Weinstein, in the announcement. “This is a big step for criminal justice reform, for our veterans, for economic opportunity, and for our individual liberties.”
+ More: For those who may have missed it at the time, Ohio nearly legalized cannabis for adult use back in 2015, but in a particularly problematic fashion. Cannabis Wire co-founder Nushin Rashidian published a story about the campaign, in partnership with the Guardian US, and it’s worth reading to get some colorful cannabis history in the state.
Colorado regulators form a workgroup on new law that limits cannabis concentrates.
Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division has convened a 34-member work group to tackle a law that will create new limits on the state’s cannabis industry. The members represent entities ranging from the University of Colorado School of Medicine to the Marijuana Industry Group.
Last month, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed HB21-1317, into law. As Cannabis Wire reported, the bill drew broad lobbying attention, from PAX Labs to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“This bill is a modest update to our regulatory framework to take further steps to ensure we are protecting our children,” Polis spokesperson Conor Cahill told Cannabis Wire at the time.
The new law immediately faced a legal challenge filed on behalf of Benjamin Wann, a 19 year-old medical cannabis patient with epilepsy. The lawsuit says that the law is “unlawfully restricting patients from accessing their constitutionally protected right to the amount of medical marijuana provided.”
Illinois announces 55 winners of adult use license lottery.
As Cannabis Wire recently reported, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a bill that would allow for more than 100 new adult use licenses to be awarded, with a focus on social equity.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation held the first lottery late last week, for which 626 “unique applicants” qualified. You can see the 55 “conditional adult use cannabis dispensary” license winners here.
Of note, though, as there have been several lawsuits holding this process up over time: “The lottery results may change as a result of court orders or administrative review,” the announcement reads.
Another 130 conditional licenses will be up for grabs in lotteries in the coming weeks, with one scheduled for this Thursday.
