Yesterday, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced that they have submitted 206,943 signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State — over 70,000 more than needed to meet the requirement for the first phase of the ballot initiative qualification process.

Take action and send a message to the governor now. Thankfully, Gov. Mike DeWine and state regulators have taken responsible steps to protect access to medical cannabis during the COVID-19 pandemic, including deeming medical cannabis businesses “essential” and allowing telemedicine consultations between doctors and patients. Several medical cannabis states are allowing home delivery for patients to minimize the health risks for an already vulnerable population. Gov. DeWine recently said he is considering…

Send your letter to the Ohio State Medical Board. Quick reminder: Sunday, March 1 is the last day the Ohio State Medical Board will be accepting comments regarding the possible addition of anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and cachexia (wasting syndrome) as qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. So far, our supporters have sent in over 800 letters! If you haven’t yet, will you send a message now? There’s considerable evidence that patients with these conditions can benefit from medical…

Click here to send an email to the State Medical Board of Ohio. The State Medical Board of Ohio is accepting public comments through March 1 regarding the possible addition of anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and cachexia (wasting syndrome) as qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. Research shows medical marijuana can be helpful in treating all three conditions. More than 10 states already allow anxiety as a qualifying condition. Over 20 allow autism spectrum disorder patients to access…

At least five shops are now approved to open, with more on the way Ohio has now approved five dispensaries to begin serving patients, with most announcing they are opening for the first time today, January 16. This is the final major milestone for a program first adopted by lawmakers in 2016, and a relief to those patients who can now get access. According to the state's website, CY+ and Ohio Valley Natural Relief LLC are opening in Wintersville. There are two shops owned by The Botanist, one in…

Proposed rules were published yesterday governing both dispensaries and physicians operating in the emerging medical marijuana program in Ohio. Both sets of proposed rules are available online. Members of the public are invited to review and comment on them before January 13, 2017. Most of the proposed rules are sensible, but there is room for improvement. One area of concern is the state’s initial proposal to limit the total number of dispensaries to 40. Given the state’s population and the likely…

Voters in four Ohio towns adopted sensible measures on Election Day by removing all penalties for the possession of 200 grams or less of marijuana under local ordinance. Bellaire, Logan, Newark, and Roseville each adopted similar ballot measures. Voters in Byesville did not adopt their proposal. The results are welcome news and a step forward in the four communities. Unfortunately, law enforcement officers have the option of charging a person under either local or state law, meaning that individuals…

Late last week, the Ohio Ballot Board certified an initiative that would establish a comprehensive medical marijuana program in Ohio. The five-member board reviews proposed ballot measures to ensure they represent only one issue. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana must now collect 305,591 valid signatures of Ohio voters by early July to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. Last week, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine confirmed the group submitted at least 1,000 valid signatures of Ohio voters and determined…

Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a campaign committee formed by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), posted the full initiative text, the official initiative summary, and a Q&A with MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia on its website Tuesday morning. The initiative text, summary, and Q&A are available at https://www.ohioansformmj.org/initiative. In summary, the initiative would: allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it and protect them…

On Wednesday, Ohio’s secretary of state certified ResponsibleOhio’s proposed constitutional amendment to appear on the ballot this November. The proposal would legalize marijuana in Ohio, making it the first state to do so without first having a medical marijuana program. It would also be the first state east of the Mississippi to replace marijuana prohibition with regulation. If approved by the voters, the proposal would: -- amend the Ohio Constitution to allow marijuana to be taxed, regulated,…