Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Columbus - A newly introduced bill would rule out the possibility of an agreement between Ohio and Michigan through which they would recognize each other's medical marijuana patient registration cards.
House Bill 597, introduced by Rep. Kyle Koehler (R., Springfield), would prohibit the Ohio Pharmacy Board from negotiating reciprocity agreements with states that allow smoking or home-growing of cannabis. Ohio's law prohibits both while Michigan's allows both.
"It's a small change," Mr. Koehler said. "I'm just clarifying that if you buy whatever in a baggy in another state, you can't smoke it here. ... We don't want people sitting on a bench in downtown Springfield smoking pot and saying they have permission to do that."
Mr. Koehler voted for House Bill 523, Ohio's medical marijuana law that passed last spring that took effect on Sept. 8. But he said he would have preferred that more restrictions were included for reciprocity agreements.
The law requires the state pharmacy board to try to negotiate reciprocity agreements in good faith with other states whose patient and caregiver eligibility requirements are "substantially comparable" to Ohio's.
This would allow Ohio patients approved here to use marijuana to travel to other states with which it has such agreements without fear of being prosecuted for possession. The same would be true for the other states' residents who travel to Ohio.
But House Bill 597 would further narrow the number of qualifying states by also requiring that any potential partner prohibit smoking, combustion, and individual growing of marijuana.
Ohio became the 25th state to have some form of medical marijuana law on its books. Just two of its neighbors are also in that club. While Michigan would be ruled out under House Bill 597, Pennsylvania would remain a possibility. Like Ohio, Pennsylvania is still in the early stages of setting up its program.
Aaron Marshall, spokesman for Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, said only Pennsylvania, New York, and Minnesota could qualify for reciprocity agreements with Ohio under the terms of Mr. Koehler's bill. He said current law is clear that smoking of marijuana is illegal in Ohio, regardless of where the patient buys it.
"It's pretty clear he's running for re-election this year," Mr. Marshall said. "It's a real head-scratcher as to why this bill was introduced. Is he basically trying to make double-illegal or something? It seems to me this does nothing but punish patients and chip away at a program that hasn't been formulated yet."
While House Bill 523 has been in effect roughly two weeks, it could be nearly two years before Ohio's heavily regulated system of marijuana cultivation, licensing, retail sale, processing, and testing is fully implemented. Patients with state-issued registration cards would legally obtain cannabis through that system. The product would be processed for use only in vapor, oil, edible, patch, tincture, or plant matter form.
Mr. Koehler's bill may not see quick action. The House will not end its summer recess until after the Nov. 8 election and will then have just a few weeks before the current two-session ends.
Even supporters of the law, however, have said periodic legislative fixes are likely as Ohio treads uncharted waters with the law.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bill Might Curb Marijuana Reciprocity
Author: Jim Provance
Contact: (419) 724-6000
Photo Credit: Rashad Sisemore
Website: The Blade
House Bill 597, introduced by Rep. Kyle Koehler (R., Springfield), would prohibit the Ohio Pharmacy Board from negotiating reciprocity agreements with states that allow smoking or home-growing of cannabis. Ohio's law prohibits both while Michigan's allows both.
"It's a small change," Mr. Koehler said. "I'm just clarifying that if you buy whatever in a baggy in another state, you can't smoke it here. ... We don't want people sitting on a bench in downtown Springfield smoking pot and saying they have permission to do that."
Mr. Koehler voted for House Bill 523, Ohio's medical marijuana law that passed last spring that took effect on Sept. 8. But he said he would have preferred that more restrictions were included for reciprocity agreements.
The law requires the state pharmacy board to try to negotiate reciprocity agreements in good faith with other states whose patient and caregiver eligibility requirements are "substantially comparable" to Ohio's.
This would allow Ohio patients approved here to use marijuana to travel to other states with which it has such agreements without fear of being prosecuted for possession. The same would be true for the other states' residents who travel to Ohio.
But House Bill 597 would further narrow the number of qualifying states by also requiring that any potential partner prohibit smoking, combustion, and individual growing of marijuana.
Ohio became the 25th state to have some form of medical marijuana law on its books. Just two of its neighbors are also in that club. While Michigan would be ruled out under House Bill 597, Pennsylvania would remain a possibility. Like Ohio, Pennsylvania is still in the early stages of setting up its program.
Aaron Marshall, spokesman for Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, said only Pennsylvania, New York, and Minnesota could qualify for reciprocity agreements with Ohio under the terms of Mr. Koehler's bill. He said current law is clear that smoking of marijuana is illegal in Ohio, regardless of where the patient buys it.
"It's pretty clear he's running for re-election this year," Mr. Marshall said. "It's a real head-scratcher as to why this bill was introduced. Is he basically trying to make double-illegal or something? It seems to me this does nothing but punish patients and chip away at a program that hasn't been formulated yet."
While House Bill 523 has been in effect roughly two weeks, it could be nearly two years before Ohio's heavily regulated system of marijuana cultivation, licensing, retail sale, processing, and testing is fully implemented. Patients with state-issued registration cards would legally obtain cannabis through that system. The product would be processed for use only in vapor, oil, edible, patch, tincture, or plant matter form.
Mr. Koehler's bill may not see quick action. The House will not end its summer recess until after the Nov. 8 election and will then have just a few weeks before the current two-session ends.
Even supporters of the law, however, have said periodic legislative fixes are likely as Ohio treads uncharted waters with the law.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bill Might Curb Marijuana Reciprocity
Author: Jim Provance
Contact: (419) 724-6000
Photo Credit: Rashad Sisemore
Website: The Blade
