Ohio

Ohio marijuana law changes stall in Statehouse. Cities are paying the price

Published

6 months ago

June 26, 2025

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Ohio marijuana law changes stall in Statehouse. Cities are paying the price

Ohio cities with marijuana dispensaries won’t receive tax money until lawmakers agree on changes to Issue 2, which voters approved in 2023

Ohio is withholding tax revenue from cities with marijuana dispensaries until state lawmakers agree on cannabis and hemp regulations.
Local governments express frustration over the withheld funds, while state officials claim they lack the constitutional authority to release the money without a specific appropriation.
The debate over marijuana and hemp regulation will continue in the fall.

Ohio will continue to withhold money from cities with marijuana dispensaries after Republican efforts to change cannabis and hemp laws came up empty.

The two-year budget approved by the House and Senate maintains current funding for municipalities, which is 36% of the tax revenue from adult-use cannabis sales. But lawmakers won’t release that money until they reach an agreement on rules for marijuana and intoxicating hemp products.

Republicans hoped to have a deal on marijuana before the Legislature’s summer break, but it didn’t happen − punting the issue to later this year. Local leaders say that puts them in the difficult spot of trying to fund services without money they were promised.

“What they’re saying is if we can take your lunch money, we will,” said David Kubicki, chairman of Columbia Township Trustees.

Ohio lawmakers reach impasse on marijuana, hemp

As approved by voters in 2023, Issue 2 divides marijuana revenue between local communities, a social equity program, substance use research and administrative costs. The budget keeps local funding in place and directs the rest to Ohio’s general bank account.

Republicans pledged early on to dismantle the social equity program, which aimed to diversify the industry and right the wrongs of cannabis prohibition. State regulators have allowed the program to languish amid uncertainty about its future.

But that’s not the only part of Issue 2 lawmakers want to change.

The House and Senate spent months negotiating over Senate Bill 56, which would revise Issue 2 and govern gray market cannabis such as delta-8. The latest version regulates the gifting of home-grown cannabis, allows up to 400 dispensaries and permits smoking only at private residences and outdoor concert venues.

“We need to specify that they can have more dispensaries, for example, rather than a tightly locked number,” Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, said. “The only way we’re going to drive the price down to be more competitive with other states is to have more dispensaries.”

Senate Bill 56 would also set rules for THC beverages and require intoxicating hemp products to be sold in dispensaries. Gov. Mike DeWine has repeatedly called on lawmakers to address delta-8, saying a loophole in federal law makes it easy for children to buy untested products.

Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, said there were too many differences among Republicans to reach a compromise before the end of June. Hemp became a major sticking point: Some lawmakers want to put it in dispensaries, while others believe the plan would hurt legitimate businesses selling CBD products.

“If we want to truly protect consumers and make sure these products are safe, we want to make sure we have a legitimate market for them rather than having them go elsewhere,” Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Boardman, said.

What’s next for local marijuana money in Ohio?

Another hang-up: How much money local governments should get.

An earlier version of the budget distributed 20% of the marijuana to cities for just five years. Stewart said Republicans couldn’t agree on a funding level and will resume that debate in the fall.

In the meantime, state officials say they can’t give money to locals because Issue 2 didn’t include a way to spend it. The Ohio Constitution requires an appropriation to release money from the state treasury.

The cannabis industry disagrees.

“It is our belief that Issue 2 was clear about the money going to local communities,” said David Bowling, executive director for the Ohio Cannabis Coalition. “Our members pride themselves in being good community partners in the areas where they live, work and do business. The Host Community Fund is a critical piece of that partnership.”

State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@gannett.com or @haleybemiller on X.

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Ohio

$50K Powerball ticket sold in Northeast Ohio; jackpot reaches $1.5B

Published

11 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

K Powerball ticket sold in Northeast Ohio; jackpot reaches .5B

CANFIELD, Ohio (WJW) – Nobody took home the massive Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, but one Canfield man is still celebrating after purchasing a winning ticket worth $50,000.

According to Ohio Lottery, Bryan decided to try his luck after realizing the Powerball jackpot was over $1 billion. He bought a ticket from the Meijer grocery store on Boardman-Canfield Road in Boardman.

The next morning, Bryan woke up and checked the ticket, stunned to discover that he won $50,000.

After mandatory state and federal taxes, the lucky winner will take home more than $36,000.

Bryan told lottery officials that he doesn’t have specific plans for money yet, but the big win will certainly make for “a very good Christmas.”

It has been months since someone won the Powerball jackpot, which now sits at a massive $1.5 billion. There is also a cash option worth $689.3 million up for grabs.

The next drawing will be Saturday night at 11 p.m. Learn more about the Powerball right here.

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Ohio

After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

Published

23 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

A mom searching for answers about her son’s death in a car wreck won a victory on Dec. 19 when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Richland County Sheriff to release records to her.

The court ruled in a unanimous decision that Andrea Mauk is entitled to three sets of records withheld by the sheriff, with only Social Security numbers being redacted. Mauk will be awarded $2,000 in damages but will not receive attorney fees.

On June 23, 2023, 18-year-old Damon Mauk lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang and slammed it into a tree. His mother wanted to piece together what happened, collect his belongings and grieve the loss of her child. She didn’t think she’d have to fight for public records and take her case to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Following the crash, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies, a township fire department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded.

During the investigation, a trooper told a deputy to leave Damon’s iPhone and wallet in the car, according to Mauk’s court filings. Instead, the deputy took the belongings to the hospital and handed them off to someone who said he was Damon’s dad.

Mauk didn’t understand. Damon’s father was largely absent from his life. How could he have been there to pick up the wallet and phone?

A few weeks after the fatal crash, Mauk asked for records, including: the sheriff’s report and inventory of items taken from the car, body camera footage from deputies who gave away the belongings, the report, photos and videos created by the patrol and more.

Mauk, of the Mansfield area, received some but not all of the requested records. Mauk hired attorney Brian Bardwell to pursue records she believes exist but weren’t provided or were improperly redacted.

The sheriff’s office claimed that some of the requested records were exempt from disclosure because they are confidential law enforcement records or personal notes. The court privately reviewed the records withheld from Mauk and determined that they should be released.

The decision in favor of releasing records runs contrary to recent rulings from the high court.

In 2024, the court held that the cost of sending troopers to protect Gov. Mike DeWine at a Super Bowl game weren’t subject to disclosure and that the Ohio Department of Health should redact from a database the names and addresses of Ohioans who had died, even though that death certificate information can be released on an individual case basis.

In 2025 the court ruled that police officers’ names may be kept confidential if they’re attacked on the job, giving them privacy rights afforded to crime victims.

State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.

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Ohio

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.

Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.

Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.

Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.

Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.

Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Up next

Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.

Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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