COLUMBUS, Ohio — In March of 2019, there was a line outside a Columbus medical marijuana dispensary the day it opened.
At the time, Ohio's medical marijuana program was regulated by three state government agencies: the Department of Commerce, the State Board of Pharmacy and the State Medical Board of Ohio.
Now, fast forward to 2023, the state budget passed in July included language that transfers regulation of medical marijuana to the "Division of Cannabis Control" under the Department of Commerce.
So come November, if recreational use is approved, it could be regulated under the Division of Cannabis Control.
The Department of Commerce declined our request for an interview, but replied in an email with the following statement, "Commerce is focused on the consolidation of the medical program as outlined in the state budget."
If recreational marijuana is approved, what would the initiative do?
Recreational use would be legal for people 21 and older. Adults could have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. Individuals would be permitted to cultivate six marijuana plants at home. Households would be capped at 12 plants.
We got a look inside one of the companies cultivating medical marijuana for the first time in Ohio back in 2019.
If recreational use of cannabis is passed, companies like Cresco Labs in Yellow Springs, will also likely be the first to get licensed to grow cannabis for recreational use.
"What we've seen is states that have a very regulated medical program transition very well into a recreational program because the framework is already there,” said Jason Erkes, Cresco Labs.
Meanwhile advocates for recreational marijuana say under the proposal, they wanted to build on the existing infrastructure from medical marijuana.
"We didn't want to start back at square one from a regulatory perspective. And we also really wanted to mirror how the state regulates alcohol sales and alcohol licensing,” said Tom Haren from the Coalition to Legalize Marijuana Like Alcohol.
Opponents of the measure say it's a public health threat.
If the initiative does pass in November, it would take the Department of Commerce months to write the regulations and issue the first batch of licenses.
Ohio would become the 24th state to legalize recreational use of marijuana.