This week, Ohio approved adult-use marijuana sales as part of a 2023 ballot measure, with sales anticipated to start mid-June.
Ohioans age 21 and over can now legally purchase marijuana across the state.
In December, a law was enacted allowing people to grow and possess marijuana, but with no legal avenues to purchase it.
Concerns about black market sales of marijuana
Gov. Mike DeWine and some Republicans sought swift action to prevent black market sales.
Jim Canepa, cannabis control superintendent for the Ohio Department of Commerce, said after years of experience in liquor control, his role is to fairly and responsibly permit folks who grow, process, sell and test cannabis.
”My focus right now is really on coming up with the rules that are required and set forth, and the timeline set forth, in the initiated statute,” Canepa explained. “They (have until) June 7 to have the applications ready, and September 7 to start issuing permits.”
The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved the rules without objection, enabling a dual licensing program for existing medical marijuana dispensaries to also sell nonmedical cannabis products.
Dispensaries are ramping up to meet the anticipated demand for marijuana
Ariane Kirkpatrick, CEO of the cannabis company Harvest of Ohio, said her dispensaries are ramping up to meet the anticipated demand.
”How are we going to do staffing?,” Kirkpatrick asked. “We’re looking at parking, so, at the different ordinances of the cities of where we’re located, to make sure we have the proper parking. Looking at drive-through, because some of our locations might have been limited already as far as capacity.”
The new legislation allows for people age 21 and older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, or 15 grams of cannabis extract, and the home cultivation of up to six plants for personal use and up to 12 plants with two or more adults in the household.
Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.
by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal May 17, 2024
Two Republican lawmakers are trying to strengthen an existing Ohio law by requiring — instead of just allowing — school districts to create a policy letting students to be excused from school to go to released time religious instruction.
State Reps. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, and Gary Click, R-Vickery, recently introduced House Bill 445 and it has had one hearing so far in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee.
“The correlation between religious instruction, schools, and good government are embedded in our constitution,” Click said in his written testimony. “You will notice that HB 445 does not establish which religion but merely acknowledges the opportunity for religious instruction. This opportunity is open to all faiths.”
May vs. shall
Ohio law currently permits school district boards of education to make a policy to let students go to a released time course in religious instruction.
HB 445 would require school districts to create a policy and changing the wording of the existing law in the Ohio Revised Code from “may” to “shall.”
“While many schools have taken advantage of the permissive language of the law, some school boards have been less accommodating,” Click said. “Regardless of their intentions, their failure to implement a sound policy in this matter results in a denial of both the students’ and parents’ constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.”
State Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.)
Cutrona agreed with his co-sponsor.
“Words have meanings and they really do matter,” he said. “So the difference between a little word like may versus shall can make all the difference in the world.”
Released time religious instruction must meet three criteria which would remain the same under the bill: the courses must take place off school property, be privately funded, and students must have parental permission.
State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur, R-Ashtabula, questioned why this bill is needed if the law is already in place.
“My experience has been that if the federal law requires it, school districts are usually very hesitant to violate federal law or federal practice,” she said during a recent committee hearing. “I’ve just wondered why you want to see that change also in the state law if it’s already required in practice.”
Click said he knows nearly a dozen school districts that have denied religious instruction programs like LifeWise Academy, an Ohio-based religious instruction program that teaches the Bible.
“I believe that when we clarify this language, it will make a more broad statement that this is not only constitutional and legal, but it is something that needs to be done in the state of Ohio to accommodate parents and their children,” Click said.
LifeWise Academy
Click mentioned LifeWise Academy in his testimony.
“(LifeWise founder) Joel Penton began to organize and create an efficient model that provided training for instructors, character-based bible curriculum, and a platform that is reliable and reputable for participating schools,” Click said. “…While this opportunity is not limited to LifeWise, they have formulated the model program for release time for religious instruction.”
LifeWise was founded in 2018, launched in two Ohio school districts in 2019 and today enrolls nearly 30,000 students across more than 12 states. The program will be in more than 170 Ohio school districts by next school year — more than a quarter of the state’s school districts.
LifeWise, which is non-denominational, supports the bill.
“It gives parents the freedom to choose character-based religious instruction for their children during the school day, in accordance with Supreme Court rulings,” Penton, the founder of LifeWise, said in a statement.
However, there has been pushback to LifeWise.
Freedom From Religion Foundation Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence wrote a letter to more than 600 Ohio school districts urging them not to allow LifeWise from taking place in their district.
“Per its own words, LifeWise’s goal is clear: they seek to indoctrinate and convert public school students to evangelical Christianity by convincing public school districts to partner with them in bringing LifeWise released time bible classes to public school communities,” Lawrence said.
Online petitions against LifeWise have also sprung up before the program comes to a school district.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor David Dewitt for questions: info@ohiocapitaljournal.com. Follow Ohio Capital Journal on Facebook and Twitter.
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