Ohio Republicans propose to eliminate home-grown marijuana and increase taxes as part of sweeping changes in legal marijuana | How to buy Skittles Moonrock online

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COLUMBUS (AP) – Ohio Senate Republicans have proposed a number of major changes to the state’s marijuana laws, including a ban on home-grown marijuana, a higher tax rate, and alterations to how taxes are distributed. marijuana legalization measure Voters approved the measure last month.

The changes were made in a committee days before the new law was set to come into effect. However, their fate in the Senate and the GOP controlled House is still uncertain.

Issue 2, the ballot measure that was passed by 57% of voters in the election on Nov. 7, is set to become law on Thursday, making Ohio as the 24th state legalizing marijuana for adult recreational purposes. As a citizen-initiated law, the Legislature can make changes to it. They’re doing so.

“This committee’s goal is to provide the wishes of the people with a safe product,” said Sen. Michael Rulli of Columbiana County, a Republican, during a Senate General Government Committee meeting, where the changes had been tacked on to an unrelated bill regulating alcohol.

Tom Haren, spokesperson for the pro Issue 2 campaign Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol criticized the Senate’s rewrite harshly.

“Some in Ohio Senate propose gutting Issue 2’s most significant provisions, including home-grow and social equity. They also propose higher taxes which will entrench illicit market and force Ohioans continue to purchase their cannabis products from Michigan,” he stated in a press release. “This isn’t what voters wanted.”

However, the Senate’s changes have a way to go.

The Senate will have to approve the changes even if they pass the Senate floor. The Republican-majority House would still need to agree with the changes, despite the fact that it is more inclined to legalize recreational marijuana than the Senate. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine must also sign off, as he has supported the basic approvals by voters.

Senate changes would ban growing marijuana at home. This is a departure from the provisions approved by Ohio voters, which allow each Ohioan to grow up six plants at home or up to 12 per family.

The Senate proposal would also increase the approved tax rate on marijuana products from 10% to 15%. The revisions would also tax cultivators at the same rate.

Tax revenue will go to general state funding, training for law enforcement, substance abuse treatment, prevention, and safe driving education. Under the original law, the revenue would have been distributed to local governments that host dispensaries as well as a social equity program to support those who want to break into cannabis industry.

According to Sen. Rob McColley, a Republican from northern Ohio, the elimination is intended to prevent most of the tax revenues from simply going back into the industry instead of benefiting the state. Rob McColley.

The Senate legislation would also lower the amount of recreational cannabis that a person can legally possess, and also lower the THC levels in marijuana plants from the original 90% to 50%. It would also lower the levels in extracts from the original 35% down to 25%.

The GOP senators have also proposed a number of measures to protect children against being exposed to or consuming marijuana — a concern for the governor. Under the new measure marijuana products must be sold in child-safe packages and cannot resemble animals, fruits or fictional characters like those from cartoons.

Advertisers are also prohibited from using media or pop-culture figures whose audience is children in order to sell marijuana. Dispensaries cannot be located within 500 feet (152 meters), of a public school, church, library, or park.

The changes also address the “ambiguous” rules that opponents of Issue 2 claimed existed around public consumption. Non-smoking edibles, for example, could be consumed in public unless a private establishment prohibits it. However, smoking or vaping the drug is prohibited unless done inside a person’s home. But landlords can still ban tenants from smoking.

Employers can also set their own rules regarding cannabis testing and use by their employees, and they can fire them if they do so without having to worry about violating discrimination law.

Scott Milburn, spokesperson for the anti Issue 2 campaign Protect Ohio Workers and Families said in a press release that the changes made the measure “less harmful to Ohioans and more self-serving for the industry.”

Bill DeMora of Columbus, a Democrat state senator, slammed these changes for ignoring the voters’ will, especially the elimination of home-growing, the diversion of tax revenue meant for local governments, and the lowering of THC levels.

DeMora stated Monday in committee that “the voters’ intent can be found nowhere in what I refer to as a shell of the legislation passed by the voters.”

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Samantha Hendrickson works as a corps member for Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America, a nonprofit national service organization, places journalists in local media to cover undercovered issues.

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