Ohio City Removes Most Marijuana-related Penalties

The Athens Cannabis Ordinance (TACO) received huge voter support Tuesday. The approval from voters is displayed by a 77-percent to 23-percent margin. All penalties for gifting, possessing and cultivating up to 200 grams of marijuana will be removed.

Four other Ohio town/cities depenalized marijuana in similar fashions last November, NORML reports. Ohio state law classifies minor marijuana possession as a minor misdemeanor. This means that where it has not been decriminalized or depenalized, fines are incurred but jail time is not mandated and it does not create a criminal record for someone.

Justin Strekal of NORML said, “Voters overwhelmingly approved of TACO because the continued criminalization of adult marijuana use is out-of-step with the views of the vast majority of adults in the United States, 64 percent of whom now endorse legalizing and regulating cannabis. While politicians continue to drag their feet, citizens are showing leadership at the local and state level in jurisdictions where the ability to achieve marijuana reform is possible at the ballot box.”