Not too far from Toledo, a billboard greets Ohioans who cross into Michigan on Interstate 75: “You made it. Now it’s time to roll.”
Marijuana dispensaries are so prolific near the Ohio-Michigan border that one stretch of them in Monroe is nicknamed “dispo row.” Businesses have signs aimed directly at their out-of-state clientele. Cheyenne Thomachefski, a team lead at Weedys, said she no longer struggles to find someone’s birthday on an Ohio driver’s license.
“The main thing I usually hear is it’s so expensive in Ohio to get flower that it’s just easier to come over here, get cheap flower and go back home,” Thomachefski said.
Ohio Issue 2: What to know about proposal to legalize recreational marijuana
It’s no secret to anyone paying attention: Every day, Ohioans drive to the state up north to buy marijuana. Ohio launched its medical cannabis program in 2016, but patients frequently complain about prices and the bureaucracy around maintaining their registration. And medical marijuana is accessible only to people with one of 26 qualifying conditions.
Proponents of an effort to legalize recreational marijuana want to keep these consumers in the Buckeye State. Voters will decide Nov. 7 whether to pass Issue 2, which would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and grow marijuana. Products would be taxed 10% on top of the state sales tax − just like they are in Michigan.
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