COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, who just a month ago said he wanted to drastically change the state’s marijuana law, appears to have had a change of heard,
He has backtracked on at least some of his proposed restrictions after having meetings with the Statehouse’s resident marijuana enthusiast.
In Nov. of 2023, voters overwhelmingly passed Issue 2 — which allowed adults 21 years of age and older to smoke, vape and ingest weed. Individual Ohioans are able to grow up to six plants with up to 12 per household. Dispensaries have been able to sell recreationally since Aug. 6, 2024.
“It was a front-row seat for history on that day back in August,” AJ Caraballo with Amplify Dispensary told Morgan Trau of News 5 Cleveland.
I was there with him when the Coventry store opened for recreational marijuana sales. It’s been a whirlwind since he told her Wednesday.
“It’s great to see new customers coming in month over month into the regulated market here in Ohio,” he said.
His store locations have had roughly 52,000 unique customers since the launch, he added. The state reports more than $265 million in adult-use sales as of Jan. 11.
But Caraballo is running into an issue. Smoke shops are stealing buyers from them — with delta-8 products that aren’t regulated or tested.
“Folks should be looking for the green DCC sticker on their dispensary doors so they know they’re entering into a licensed facility with that safe, tested product,” he said.
Lawmakers have been trying to ban or regulate delta-8, a low-level marijuana sold at convenience stores. Huffman said it’s a priority to get done.
“I think that all THC products should go through the dispensaries,” he said Tuesday.
But other of Huffman’s (R-Lima) ideas are worrying Caraballo and marijuana enthusiasts.
Huffman, who up until January was president of the Senate, hasn’t been very positive about Issue 2 passing.
Read more at News 5
