Going against the will of Ohioan voters who legalized cannabis and assigned its tax revenues to causes like social equity and jobs programs, the Ohio Senate has moved instead to funnel the funds toward law enforcement and the state’s general fund.
Ohio Senate Redirects Cannabis Tax Revenue to Law Enforcement
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The Ohio Senate passed a bill last week to change the state’s adult-use cannabis law, WTAP reports. The measure, passed on the day the voter-approved law took effect, would raise the excise tax on cannabis products from 10% to 15% and change how those tax dollars are spent.
Under the proposal, more than half of adult-use tax revenues would be earmarked for law enforcement and jail construction, while the other half would be used for drug treatment and related programs.
The voter-approved measure had created five funds in the state treasury: the adult-use tax fund, the cannabis social equity and jobs fund, the host community cannabis fund, the substance abuse and addiction fund, and the division of cannabis control and tax commissioner fund.
The bill passed by the Senate eliminates the social equity and jobs program and redirects the revenues toward law enforcement and the state’s general fund, Politico reports.
Tom Haren, a spokesperson for the legalization campaign, told Politico that the bill “does not respect the will of the voters.”
The measure would allow current medical cannabis companies to sell to non-patients 21-and-older immediately. It would also limit home cultivation to six plants per household and set caps on allowable THC limits for cannabis products.
The proposal, which still requires House approval, is backed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
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