Cannabis Decriminalization Bill Proposed In Ohio House

COLUMBUS, OH — A new legislative package would make authorize use of medical cannabis for autism and then decriminalize possession of cannabis. The package is being proposed by state Rep. Juanita Brent.

Brent said she developed the proposals after meeting with her constituents. Parents who have children with autism are seeking additional treatment options, she said.

"Ohio families should not have to move to one of the seventeen other states who already permit autism as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis to comfort their child," Brent said.

The second bill in Brent's legislative package would repeal criminal prohibitions for possession and trafficking of cannabis. The bill would vacate cannabis possession sentences and expunge cannabis possession offenses from the record.

“It is about time we stop criminalizing a plant (Cannabis),” said Brent. “Our police should be focusing their time and resources on more serious crimes. This is also an opportunity to strengthen our workforce with more tax-paying contributors, instead of keeping people from a job because of a background check.”

The two bills await committee assignments and bill numbers.

There is currently a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio. The campaign has been hampered by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which has made collecting signatures for the petition more difficult.

If the group does collect enough signatures, Ohio voters will decide a constitutional amendment which would make marijuana legal statewide, News 5 reported.