Ohio Senate approves medical marijuana bill tonight

COLUMBUS

Ohioans are a few steps closer to being allowed to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, under legislation finalized by state lawmakers Wednesday.

House Bill 523 passed by a narrow margin in the Ohio Senate, with the Ohio House concurring later before the end of its session — likely the last before lawmakers break for their summer recess.

The outcome was historic, marking a change in Republican-controlled chambers that have long opposed marijuana legalization efforts.

“Before us today is a bill that decriminalizes the use of certain types of medical marijuana in Ohioans that meet certain criteria,” said Sen. Dave Burke, R-Marysville. “States do not have the right to legalize marijuana, but we do have the right to decriminalize in certain instances in certain ways, and that is exactly what this bill does.”

Wednesday’s passage also was a preemptive attempt by lawmakers to thwart a separate ballot issue. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana continues to collect signatures to place its broader medical marijuana legalization amendment before voters in November.

Read more about this latest action in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.