COLUMBUS, Ohio (WXIX) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held a press conference Wednesday urging the fast passage of a Senate bill to allow regulation and the legal sale of marijuana hours before its use becomes legal in the state.
After voters passed Issue 2 in November, recreational marijuana use in the state is set to become legal at Midnight on Dec. 7.
DeWine said there’s no regulation of marijuana sales in the state and it can’t be sold legally in Ohio despite Issue 2 coming into effect.
He urged the Senate and House to pass a bill today ahead of marijuana’s recreational use becoming legal, despite it taking 90 days for the bill to become law.
“People can’t buy it now, but in a few hours, they can use it but they can’t buy it,” DeWine said. “That’s a disaster. It’s important to get this passed.”
DeWine said his biggest concerns were protecting people who don’t want to be exposed to marijuana smoke, especially children, and making sure marijuana in the state is safe.
He said black market sales are expected to explode, which would put the health of users at risk.
“People could buy marijuana with fentanyl in it,” DeWine said. “(Fentanyl) is the highest cause of death in Ohio. It could have pesticides, metals or other chemicals you often find in marijuana sold on the black market.”
DeWine said the bill would still take 90 days to be legal, which would mean any marijuana sales in the state would be illegal and from the black market. He still urged the…
