A cannabis flower is seen at the Cleveland School of Cannabis grow room on Nov. 15, 2023.
A cannabis flower is seen at the Cleveland School of Cannabis grow room on Nov. 15, 2023. Credit: Stephanie Casanova / Signal Cleveland

Now it’s legal. As of Dec. 7, Ohioans can have 2.5 ounces of weed on them — at least for the time being. State legislators are racing to make significant changes to the new recreational marijuana law.

There are still a lot of questions about recreational marijuana. Here are answers to some recent ones, and we welcome more.

Am I able to legally purchase marijuana from a medical dispensary today without a medical card?

No, but that could change soon. As of today, Issue 2 is the law, and it does not allow dispensaries to sell to customers without a medical card. There is a months-long bureaucratic process that must happen first, unless the bill currently supported by Senate Republicans (who hold the majority) and Gov. Mike DeWine gets passed by the Ohio House of Representatives. The House meets again next week.

Can I give marijuana as a holiday gift?

As of Dec. 7, you can legally have it. How you get it is where you can get into trouble. You cannot go to another state and bring weed back with you. According to the Ohio Department of Commerce, “Federal law prohibits traveling across state lines with marijuana.” The Commerce Department regulates medical marijuana and will also regulate recreational cannabis, and it has nine months to complete the rulemaking and licensing processes for non-medical cannabis. It will take more time to issue licenses and start selling cannabis products.

Can I still be drug tested?

Issue 2 does not change an employer’s right to drug test. Attorney Bryan Meek told Signal Akron: “Issue 2 was clear that it’s going to remain up to the employer as to whether they will continue to drug test for marijuana. Even after Thursday, employees can be terminated for using marijuana. They can still be drug tested for use of marijuana. That’s not going to change, and I don’t think the legislature is going to change that either.”

The statute also says you cannot operate a motor vehicle while using cannabis or while under the influence.

Is Lakewood banning marijuana?

For the answer to this one, we turned to our partners at 3News. They report that the City of Lakewood has implemented a temporary moratorium on issuing permits related to anyone “seeking to operate a recreational cannabis business in Lakewood until at least July 31, 2024.”

The moratorium was approved at the Dec. 4 Lakewood City Council meeting. 

“In no way, shape or form is it being done to go against the will of the people who voted to make this happen,” Lakewood Council President John Litten told 3News. “It’s more so that we can take time as a city … to understand what the state’s requirements are going to be, what their rules for municipalities are going to be, [and] how tax structure is going to work.”

Litten said the moratorium is no different than the one the city had in place when medicinal marijuana was legalized in Ohio in 2016.

Watch 3News coverage on the Lakewood cannabis legislation.

Keep the questions coming. You can text us or leave a message at 216-220-9398.

Community Journalism Director (she/her)
I look for innovative ways to center news on community interests so more Clevelanders can have positive, direct interactions with journalists. I seek out different opinions, support emerging journalists, and teach community writing and story development so people can tell their own stories, build their own power and make the change they want to see.

Associate Editor and Director of the Editors’ Bureau (he/him)
Important stories are hiding everywhere, and my favorite part of journalism has always been the collaboration, working with colleagues to find the patterns in the information we’re constantly gathering. I don’t care whose name appears in the byline; the work is its own reward. As Batman said to Commissioner Gordon in “The Dark Knight,” “I’m whatever Gotham needs me to be.”