A month ago, 57% of Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana, allowing residents to grow, sell and smoke pot. State lawmakers can change what voters approved, since the new law is an initiated statute rather than a constitutional amendment. Many Republicans believe voters saw recreational marijuana as a binary question of whether or not to legalize and didn’t focus too much on the details. So they’re negotiating over possible changes, including allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to immediately begin recreational sales, lowering THC concentrations, and increasing and reallocating taxes. So far, none of those changes have passed. And starting today, Ohioans 21 and older cannot be arrested if they possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis in all forms except extracts, of which they can possess 15 grams, or about 0.5 ounces. We’ll see what happens next. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs vs. Orlando Magic: Cavs anything but average in 121-111 statement win over upstart Orlando Magic Northeast Ohio weather: Warmer conditions expected |
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Ohio legislators are continuing to discuss possible changes to the state's recently passed law allowing the recreational use of marijuana. |
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Marijuana law: The new voter-approved recreational marijuana law takes effect today without changes from state lawmakers as they continue to negotiate over details about how they want to alter it, Laura Hancock and Jeremy Pelzer report. While the Ohio Senate and Gov. Mike DeWine coalesced behind a proposal that included immediate recreational sales at medical marijuana dispensaries, lowering THC concentrations and keeping home-grow, the Ohio House adjourned on Wednesday without taking up the Senate bill. Today in Ohio: Expanded Amtrak service linking Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati is a step closer to reality, with the awarding of federal funding to study key metrics of the proposed route. We’re talking about the 3C+D route, and whether anyone would use it if it’s not high-speed, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Timeline: Twenty-seven months passed between July 2021, when FirstEnergy officials first admitted to paying a bribe to Sam Randazzo in a deal with prosecutors, and Monday, when Randazzo was charged with accepting the bribe. Bribery has a five-year statute of limitations, the time limit by which prosecutors must bring charges against someone under federal law after an act is performed, reports Andrew Tobias. Higher-ed bill: A sweeping, controversial higher-education bill meant to crack down on perceived liberal bias on Ohio’s college campuses is one step closer to becoming law, reports Andrew Tobias. The Ohio House Higher Education Committee voted 8-7 on Wednesday to advance Senate Bill 83, a mashup of various proposals addressing topics like diversity, equity and inclusion programs, campus speech policies, American history education and teacher evaluations. It combines those concepts with language from model legislation put out by conservative organizations. Wall Street: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Wednesday denounced Wall Street banks for fighting requirements that they retain more capital to ensure they can withstand losses from what Brown called their “riskiest financial shenanigans that create no value to the real economy.” Sabrina Eaton reports the Ohio Democrat said the proposals the banks oppose would protect against the sort of risky trading and derivative activities that led to the 2008 financial crisis. EPA emissions: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators from Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania want the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reject three proposed emission rules that they predict would undermine the U.S. steel industry and ship jobs overseas. Sabrina Eaton reports that on Wednesday, they sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan that said the rules would require the U.S. steel industry to make billions of dollars in capital investments and increase its yearly operating costs. |
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BW budget: Baldwin Wallace University has frozen hiring and is offering staff buyouts as it deals with a budget deficit for the 2023-24 school year. But how big of a deficit that is appears to be a moving target. Sean McDonnell reports the university collected $16.2 million less from tuition during the 2021-22 school year than it did five years prior. St. Nick: The Feast of St. Nicholas on Wednesday is a typically Christian holiday honoring St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Russia and Greece who was noted for his generosity, especially toward children and the needy, reports Zachary Smith. |
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Topping off: Sherwin-Williams is another step closer to completing its massive global headquarters in downtown Cleveland, reports Megan Sims. The company announced the “topping off” of its headquarters, which marked the completion of the 36-story building’s structural work just shy of two years after the project broke ground in January 2022. Nursing home robots: Two Akron-area nursing homes are turning to robots to help alleviate staffing shortages in their facilities. Megan Becka reports each facility has adopted different procedures for their robot to help with, including meal and package delivery, hydration carts and cleaning food trays and dining areas. The robots – named Eva and Rosie – can even sing “Happy Birthday” to residents. Truck terminals: Several trucking terminals that closed unexpectedly in July have now been sold off to new owners. Several of Yellow Corp.’s Ohio facilities have been sold — including Holland terminal on Memphis Road in Brooklyn and YRC Freight terminals in Richfield and Copley Township, reports Sean McDonnell. Starbucks union: Workers at a Strongsville Starbucks inside of Southpark Mall have filed for a union election, setting the stage for an eighth unionized Starbucks in Greater Cleveland. Sean McDonnell reports workers at the cafe filed for an election on Nov. 30. Money Talks: Darnell Mayberry started this December like he starts every morning on the first of the month. He rolled over, reached for his smartphone, pulled up that popular mobile payment app and cheerfully punched in his tithe to his church. He says it’s without question the best money move he can make. |
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Gang arrest: The leader of a crew in one of Cleveland’s most ruthless gangs was arrested on Wednesday on federal drug and gun charges, Adam Ferrise reports. Raven Mullins, 34, controlled the Fully Blooded Felons, a part of the larger Heartless Felons gang that for years caused bloodshed and dealt drugs across the city, according to court records. Lawyer pleads: A Cleveland Heights attorney has pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge for bringing a baggie of methamphetamine to the Cuyahoga County jail last year, Cory Shaffer reports. Eric Norton was placed in intervention in lieu of conviction, meaning the charge will be dropped if he successfully completes a year of probation and drug treatment programs. |
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Elf on the Shelf: What to do if your family doesn’t have time for Elf on the Shelf this year? Lucas Daprile says tell them it will not be Santa who is watching to see if they’re stealing sweets from the fridge. It will be the government. Nutcracker: Cleveland Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” returns to the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square this month despite an ongoing internal investigation into “serious workplace allegations” at the nonprofit dance company, reports Paris Wolfe. Founder and artistic director Gladisa Guadalupe was suspended in late November. Her husband, co-founder, president and CEO Michael Krasnyansky, was also suspended, then resigned a week later. John Prine: The late John Prine is an American icon whose influence on singers and songwriters has been reverberating for three generations, reports Malcolm X Abram. Across his storied five-decade career, Prine wrote unfussy, image-infused, character-driven songs that illuminated the human condition. His life and music will be celebrated today in Cleveland in a panel discussion at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Foster Theater. Whiskey gifts: Holiday shopping can be overwhelming unless you have a whiskey lover in your life. It can make it pretty easy to shop for someone with a drink of choice, whether you gift them their favorite bottle or barware to make drinks with. If you’re looking for something truly unique to gift a whiskey fan this holiday season, Alex Darus lists 16 whiskey-themed gifts perfect for putting under the tree this year. |
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