First spring with legal marijuana. Know the rules

Happy Tuesday. I’m Haley BeMiller, a state government reporter with The Enquirer’s statehouse bureau.

Spring is upon us (some days, anyway), which to me screams patio season. It’s also the first spring with legal marijuana in Ohio. But cannabis users shouldn’t get ready to light up at their favorite beer garden.

The recreational marijuana law approved by voters in November outlines rules for public use. For starters: Smoking cannabis falls under Ohio’s smoking ban, which prohibits the smoking of plant material in enclosed, public areas.

That doesn’t mean patios are fair game, though. Businesses with liquor permits have a whole other set of regulations to follow. The law also makes it a misdemeanor to use marijuana in public.