After Ohio Becomes 24th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, What Next?
by Jordan Arizmendi
Back on November 7, Ohio voters supported Issue 2, which legalized the sale, purchase and possession of cannabis for Ohioans 21 and older. However, it appeared on the ballot as an initiated statute, which means state lawmakers have the final say on what the recreational marijuana law will look like in Ohio. After all, the newly established Division of Cannabis Control must first complete the licensing procedures, before an Ohio dispensary can make its first sale.
On December 7, 2023, Gov. Mike Dewine emphasized the need to tailor legislation to prevent a “black market.” He added, “People will be getting it from many sources, none of them legally. Without this bill, people could be buying marijuana that has fentanyl in it.”
Other changes to the amendments of Issue 2 decreases the number of marijuana plants per household. Issue 2 was originally written to allow adults to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrate, and six plants per individual or up to 12 per household. House Bill 86 decreases the maximum number of plants per household to six. In addition, H.B. 86 maintains the most potent amount of THC at 35%, for plant material, but reduces it from 90% to 50% for extracts.
Source: NBC
As a digital subscriber to Criminal Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
More from this issue:
- Geofence Warrants: The Mass Location Surveillance and Privacy Threat Created by Google May Be Eliminated by Its Creator, by Anthony Accurso
- Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Odor of Marijuana Alone Emanating From Vehicle Insufficient for Probable Cause to Search Under Automobile Exception, by Anthony Accurso
- Michigan Supreme Court: Defendant’s Statements Involuntary and Inadmissible, by Douglas Ankney
- Tales From the ‘Tails’ of Bloodstains, by Douglas Ankney
- New Jersey Supreme Court Excludes CSLI Testimony Based on Agent’s ‘Rule Of Thumb’ Method for Determining Defendant’s Location, by Anthony Accurso
- New Night-Vision Capable Drone Marketed to Police, by Anthony Accurso
- Missouri Supreme Court Orders Dismissal of Pending Charges Where Trial Court Failed to Bring Prisoner to Trial Within 180-Day Limitations Period Provided for in ‘Interstate Agreement on Detainers’, by Douglas Ankney
- Third Circuit: Defendant Not on Rental Agreement Had Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Car Because He Had Dominion and Control of Car Where Renter Gave Keys to Him, He Was in Possession of Them Upon Arrest, and Car Parked Nearby, by Anthony Accurso
- NYPD Has Spent Millions of Dollars on Social Media Analysis Tools, by Jo Ellen Nott
- New York Court of Appeals: Forensic Findings Establishing Possible Alternative Cause of Injuries in Sex-Crime Prosecution Admissible Under ‘Interest of Justice’ Exception to Rape Shield Law, by David Reutter
- The Diminishment of Miranda Is Leading to False Confessions and Conviction of Innocents, by David Reutter
- Fifth Circuit Announces Revocation Judgments for Violation of Supervised Release Vacated Because Underlying Sentence Vacated, by Anthony Accurso
- FBI Works to Expand Court Authority for Its Offensive Cyber Operations, by Anthony Accurso
- Third Circuit: Defense Counsel Ineffective Under Strickland Where Counsel Sat Silent After Judge Threatened to Charge Witness With Perjury Unless Testimony Changed, by Douglas Ankney
- Study Raises Alarms About Inaccuracies and Bias in Gun Forensics Reporting, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Ninth Circuit Announces District Courts Must Either Orally Pronounce All Discretionary ‘Standard’ Conditions of Supervised Release in the Presence of Defendant or Provide Conditions in Writing Prior to Sentencing, by Douglas Ankney
- The Problem with Some Non-Carceral Punishments, by Carlo Difundo
- Researchers Find Fiber Evidence Lasts Longer Underwater Than Previously Thought, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Who Let the Dogs Out? Robotic Dogs Are the Newest (and Scariest) Surveillance Tech in U.S. Police Departments, by Jo Ellen Nott
- DHS Allows CBP and ICE Officers to Create Fake Social Media Profiles to Track Subjects of Interest and Conduct Investigations, by Jo Ellen Nott
- After Ohio Becomes 24th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, What Next?, by Jordan Arizmendi
- Fourth Circuit: Walking Past Unoccupied Home With Bulging Pocket and Attempting to Evade Neighborhood Tipster Insufficient for Reasonable Suspicion to Seize and Search, by Anthony Accurso
- DEA’s Domestic Surveillance Mission Creep: Beyond Drugs, Beyond Protests, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Harris County, Texas, Settles Civil Rights Case for $1.5 Million Brought by Innocent Man Shot in His Home Five Times by Trigger-Happy Deputy, by Jo Ellen Nott
- New Mexico Supreme Court Announces Marquez’s Holding That ‘Crime of Shooting at or From Motor Vehicle Cannot Be Predicate Felony Supporting Charge of Felony Murder’ Is New Substantive Rule and Applies Retroactively, by Douglas Ankney
- The Potential Privacy Threat of Generative AI, by Michael Thompson
- Evidence Shows When Researchers Work Alongside Cops in the Field, De-escalation Training Is Implemented and Effective, by Douglas Ankney
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Testimonial References to Post-Arrest Silence Cannot Be Used Against Defendant at Trial, Pre-Arrest Harmless Error Analysis Does Not Apply, by Anthony Accurso
- Data Mining: Law Enforcement Pays Cash for Your Private Data and Saves on the Hassle of Complying With the Fourth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
- Sixth Circuit Announces Due Process Right to ‘Prompt’ Post-Seizure Hearing While Government Deciding Whether to Initiate Forfeiture Proceedings and Holds Wayne County’s Vehicle Forfeiture Program Violates Due Process, by Matthew Clarke
- Idaho Supreme Court Announces Adoption of ‘Primary Purpose’ Standard for Reviewing Police Decision to Impound Vehicles and Conduct Inventory Search to Prevent Pretextual Searches in Violation of Fourth Amendment, by Anthony Accurso
- Steady Improvement in Techniques for the Analysis of Degraded DNA, by Douglas Ankney
- Indiana Supreme Court Announces Civil Forfeiture Triggers Right to Jury Trial, by Matthew Clarke
- Study Finds Public Defenders’ Heavy Workloads Prevent Effective Representation, Amendments to 50-Year-Old Guidelines Recommended, by Douglas Ankney
- Kentucky Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Discretion by ‘Rehabilitating’ Juror Who Indicated Could Not Be Impartial and Failing to Strike Juror, by David Reutter
- Vendors Late to Recognize the Serious Threat of Cell-Site Simulators, by Michael Thompson
- Identification Via DNA, Fingerprints, and 3D Scanning of Footwear, by Douglas Ankney
- Car Culture Dramatically Increases Number of Cop Confrontations, by Matthew Clarke
- News in Brief
More from Jordan Arizmendi:
- Minnesota Becomes Third State to Restrict ‘Excited Delirium’, July 15, 2024
- After Stripping Crucial Jail Services, NYC Splurges on $90,000 in Submachine Guns for Rikers Island Guards, April 26, 2024
- Disgraced NYC Council Candidate Gets Slap-on-the-Wrist Sentence, April 26, 2024
- Colorado Becomes Seventh State to Prohibit Jailing Immigrants for ICE, April 26, 2024
- After Ohio Becomes 24th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, What Next?, Feb. 15, 2024
- Jesse Johnson: 194th Person Exonerated While on Death Row, Jan. 15, 2024
- Chicago Cop Lied So Many Times Under Oath That Prosecutors Are Dismissing Cases That Relied on His Testimony, Dec. 15, 2023
- Report Finds Effective Text Message Reminders Can Reduce Community Supervision Violations, Dec. 15, 2023
- New York Court Rules Police Allowed to Use Familial DNA Searches, Dec. 15, 2023
- New Jersey Takes First Steps in Eliminating Public Defender Fees, Nov. 1, 2023
More from these topics:
- Michigan Supreme Court Announces Smell of Marijuana Alone Is No Longer Sufficient to Establish Probable Cause to Search Vehicle, Oct. 15, 2025. Probable Cause, Automobile Exception, Plain View Doctrine, Marijuana Laws/Issues, Terry Stops.
- The Flawed Science of Cannabis Impairment Detection: The Need for Evidence-Based Reform, Aug. 1, 2025. Drug Testing, War on Drugs, Marijuana Laws/Issues, Drug Laws/Offenses.
- Former Centurion Owner Accused of Helping Florida Governor Kill Legalized Weed, June 1, 2025. Centurion, State Legislation, Marijuana Laws/Issues.
- Eleventh Circuit: Asylee’s Florida Convictions for Marijuana Possession and Lewd and Lascivious Battery Do Not Warrant Removal Under INA, Feb. 1, 2025. Immigration, Enforcement of Immigration Laws, Marijuana Laws/Issues, Assault Weapons, Nationality/National Origin.
- Illinois Supreme Court Announces Odor of Burnt Cannabis Alone Is Insufficient to Establish Probable Cause for a Warrantless Vehicle Search, Feb. 1, 2025. Vehicle Searches, Probable/Proximate Cause, Warrantless Searches, Marijuana Laws/Issues.
- GOP Michigan County Commissioner Re-elected— and Headed to Federal Prison, Jan. 15, 2025. Government Misconduct, Marijuana Laws/Issues, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Criticism of Government.
- Maryland Governor Pardons Thousands of Low-Level Marijuana Convictions, Seeking to Right Historical Wrongs, Sept. 1, 2024. Pardons/Clemency, Marijuana Laws/Issues, Use of Marijuana.
- Mississippi Prison Warden Suspended After Security Chief Caught Smuggling, Aug. 15, 2024. Guard Misconduct, Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet, Marijuana Laws/Issues.
- Maryland Pardons 175,000 Marijuana Misdemeanor Convictions, Aug. 15, 2024. Pardons/Clemency, Marijuana Laws/Issues, Use of Marijuana.
- Federal Government Proposes Reclassifying Marijuana as Less Dangerous Schedule III Drug in Historic Policy Shift, July 15, 2024. Marijuana Laws/Issues, Medical Marijuana.





