One year after legalization, Ohio cities still waiting on promised marijuana tax revenue

OG Article By Maya May

Ohio cities await marijuana tax revenue as promised funds remain undelivered a year after legalization.

TOLEDO, Ohio — One year after recreational marijuana sales became legal in Ohio, local leaders in cities like Toledo said they have yet to see the tax revenue promised under the state’s new cannabis law. Now, they're looking to the legislature for answers. 

When Ohio voters approved Issue 2 last year, it legalized recreational marijuana and included a pledge that 10% of excise tax revenue from sales would be directed to municipalities where cannabis is sold. But so far, no money has been distributed, leaving local officials questioning the state’s follow-through.

Brandon Cohen, a professor at the University of Toledo, said the delay may stem from concerns among counties and municipalities that don’t currently receive any revenue.

“The issue that’s coming up is, my guess, why it's delayed. It's because the other counties and municipalities that aren't getting any money for that, they want to make sure that they're getting something,” Cohen said.

According to Cohen, the legislature still needs to pass a bill detailing how and where the marijuana tax dollars will be allocated. He said Senate Bill 56 may be the key.

“I have been told by some insiders that the Senate is going to take up the issue in the fall with Senate Bill 56,” he said.

In the meantime, Lucas County leaders said they are advocating for funding to return to their communities.

“I'd really like to see it come to the three areas they had talked about before safety forces, mental health and recovery, and into local government,” said Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki.

While county operations continued as usual, Sobecki said the delay raises questions about the state’s commitment to voters.

“We still, as Lucas County commissioners, have to run an efficient county, and that's what we do,” she said. “But I'm wondering, is the state of Ohio running an efficient state of Ohio when they say one thing and do another?”

For now, local leaders and residents await further legislative action, hoping that Senate Bill 56 will bring the clarity and funding they were promised.