Politics
Five Ohio Cities Decriminalize Marijuana
Five out of six Ohio cities that had local marijuana decriminalization measures on the ballot have passed the initiatives, including in the state’s sixth most populous city.
Decriminalization passed in Dayton, Fremont, Norwood, Oregon and Windham. Voters in Garrettsville rejected the local measure, though.
Currently, getting caught possessing up to 200 grams of cannabis is a misdemeanor in Ohio, punishable by a $150 to $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail, depending on the exact amount. These measures won’t affect state law, but it will help protect cannabis consumers in municipalities that approve the initiatives through local ordinances.
Here’s the text of each measure.
PASSED—Dayton: “Shall the Dayton Revised Code of General Ordinances be amended to decriminalize specific misdemeanor marijuana and hashish offenses?”
PASSED—Fremont: “Shall the proposed Sensible Marihuana Ordinance which lowers the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses to the lowest penalty allowed by state law be adopted?”
Some Sandusky County election surprises (unofficial results): Judge Robert Hart loses; health dept levy fails; Fremont passes ordinance for $0 fines for marijuana violations. Stories to come at https://t.co/PEercboVYF. @nmnow
— David Yonke (@davidyonke1) November 7, 2018
REJECTED—Garrettsville: “Shall the proposed ordinance to lower the penalties for misdemeanor marihuana offenses to the lowest penalties allowed by state law be adopted?”
Garrettsville has rejected passage of an ordinance relaxing sentencing for misdemeanor marijuana possession with 471 in favor of it and 515 against, according to the Portage County Board of Elections' tally with two or two precincts counted. #rcnow
— Bob Gaetjens (@BobGaetjens_RPC) November 7, 2018
PASSED—Norwood: “Shall the proposed ordinance adding Section 513.15 Marijuana Laws and Penalties to the City of Norwood Municipal Code, which would lower the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses to the lowest penalty allowed by state law, be adopted?”
PASSED—Oregon: “Shall the proposed Sensible Marihuana Ordinance which lowers the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses to the lowest penalty allowed by state law be adopted?”
PASSED—Windham: “Shall the proposed ordinance to lower the penalties for misdemeanor marihuana offenses to the lowest penalties allowed by state law be adopted?”
Windham has approved passage of an ordinance relaxing sentencing for misdemeanor marijuana possession with 237 votes (53.5 percent) in favor of it and 206 (46.5 percent) against, according to the Portage County Board of Elections' tally with two or two precincts counted. #rcnow
— Bob Gaetjens (@BobGaetjens_RPC) November 7, 2018
Six other Ohio cities—Toledo, Logan, Roseville, Bellaire, Newark and Athens—have approved decriminalization initiatives over the past three years.
UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect new information about how each Ohio city voted on local marijuana measures.
Follow Marijuana Moment’s election live blog for the latest updates on cannabis ballot measures and congressional races here.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
