First Recreational Marijuana Bill Introduced in Ohio

A pair of Buckeye State lawmakers are ready to put the “high” in Ohio. 

On Thursday, two Democratic state House representatives there—Casey Weinstein and Terrence Upchurch—introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the cultivation and sale of recreational marijuana in the state.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the bill is historic, as it is “the first proposed [bill] in Ohio to set up a regulated market for selling marijuana,” the newspaper reported.

“We’re seeing there are dramatic economic benefits, there are medical benefits and there’s a strong criminal justice avenue here so we can focus law enforcement on violent crime,” Weinstein told the Enquirer. “Ohio is at the point where we’re going to be behind if we don’t act now. I hope this provides the spark that we need to elevate the conversation and get this legislation moving.”