YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Ohio’s House Speaker is weighing in on state Issue 2, which would ease regulations on recreational marijuana use.
If approved, Issue 2 would legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana for adults 21 years and older across Ohio. It would also create an agency to regulate the industry and help set up addiction services as well as establish a new sales tax on cannabis products.
Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens said he is opposed to Issue 2 and said if it’s passed on Nov. 7, it could impact potential economic growth.
“When a business from the outside looks into Ohio and says, ‘Oh yeah, we can do business there.’ Well, what is our situation with drug use and that sort of thing when it comes to our workforce?” said Stephens. “That’s a real big issue that I don’t think that everybody’s really thought about the impact of.”
Nearly two dozen other states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana.
