(NEXSTAR) — Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana on Tuesday, making the state the 24th to do so.
Starting next month, Ohioans 21 years old and older will be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of cannabis extract. They can keep up to six cannabis plants or up to 12 if there are two adults at least 21 years old in their household.
An additional sales tax of 10% will apply to cannabis products as well.
Ohio was already one of the 15 states that had legalized medical cannabis.
As of November 2023, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. There are several that approved recreational use within the last two years.
Rhode Island and New York kicked off sales in December 2022. Connecticut, Maryland, and Missouri began sales this year.
Some states tried and failed to legalize recreational marijuana this year. That includes Oklahoma, where voters rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana in March.
A proposal to legalize marijuana in Indiana was voted down in early April. Thousands of supporters have signed a petition to have a proposed constitutional amendment regarding marijuana legalization added to Florida ballots in 2024.
Though they haven’t legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, nine states have authorized the use of CBD and products low in THC. Previously among those states was Kentucky, which has since legalized medical marijuana (though it won’t take effect until 2025).
A bill that would legalize marijuana in Indiana is expected to be introduced next season, NewsNation affiliate WXIN reports.
Three states – Idaho, Nebraska, and Kansas – have no public program at all, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services sent its findings on marijuana to the Drug Enforcement Administration, reportedly recommending that it be reclassified as a Schedule III drug. That classification means the substance has a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
While it sounds promising, not much has actually changed for marijuana. It will take some time for the DEA to make any decision on reclassifying weed. And even if it is reclassified, marijuana would still be a controlled substance, subject to federal rules and regulations.
It also would not immediately be legalized for recreational use on the federal level. Rescheduling marijuana does not decriminalize marijuana, either. Reclassification would, however, open the door to more research – because it’s easier to study Schedule III drugs than Schedule I drugs.
In a Gallup survey published Wednesday, a record seven in 10 respondents said they support the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. For the last three years, support has held steady at 68%.
