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Ohio Republican Lawmaker Announces Recreational Marijuana Bill

The bill’s author said revenue from marijuana sales could help the state’s budget picture.

Buckeye Relief LLC employee Allison Johnson, works on topping a marijuana plant, in Eastlake, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2018.
Buckeye Relief LLC employee Allison Johnson, works on topping a marijuana plant, in Eastlake, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2018.
AP Photo/David Dermer, File

Ohio could become the latest Midwestern state to legalize recreational marijuana under legislation proposed by a Republican state legislator.

State Rep. Jamie Callender of suburban Cleveland called his measure “the responsible approach for adult use,” the Associated Press reports.

The bill, in part, would legalize recreational marijuana use for those age 21 and older and impose a 10% tax on marijuana sales.

One-quarter of that revenue would go toward addiction and recovery programs, with another quarter allocated for the purchase of equipment for law enforcement to detect impaired drivers. The remaining half would be available to bolster the state’s general fund.

The state approved medical marijuana in 2016 and implemented a medical marijuana program in 2019; current medical cannabis operators would automatically join a new recreational cannabis program, with new companies added to help meet new demand.

The legislative push coincides with an effort to put a recreational marijuana measure on the statewide ballot.

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