On July 30, 2019, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed SB 57 into law, legalizing hemp and hemp-derived CBD in the state. The definition of marijuana now excludes hemp, according to the amount of THC—the psychoactive component of the plant that produces a high. When the THC level is .3 percent or less, it is considered hemp. If the THC level is more than .3 percent, it is cannabis, which is illegal in Ohio. However, prosecutors…
In June 2019, the House and Senate proposed drug sentencing reform bills to combat the opioid crisis and reduce prison populations. House Bill 1 would require judges to consider treating addiction, rather than obtaining a conviction in criminal court. In addition, those who were convicted for low-level nonviolent and non-sexual crimes to seal criminal records in order to put the past behind them for good. If the House bill passes, the court will place misdemeanor…
In 2016, the Ohio legislature passed HB 523, legalizing medical cannabis. The state intends to have a fully functioning medical marijuana distribution system up and running by September of 2018. Cole Memo Repealed However, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions threw a wrench into legalized marijuana systems in Ohio and other states last week when he repealed an Obama-era policy—known as the Cole memo—of leaving law-abiding marijuana businesses alone in those particular states. Federal prosecutors are…