Subscribe to the Wake Up, cleveland.com’s free morning newsletter, delivered to your inbox weekdays at 5:30 a.m.
When Ohio voters legalized adult use marijuana in November 2023, they did so through a statute, not a state constitutional amendment, which means lawmakers could cut, change or add anything they want.
The House and Senate have their own ideas for how to change what voters approved. But both of their proposed bills cap the total number of dispensaries in Ohio at 350, tighten the rules for packaging and marketing, and limit the potency of extracts.
The House bill introduced Thursday, however, keeps these basics in place:
Keep the voter approved plant limits at six per person and 12 per household. Keep grow limits for Ohio’s largest cultivators at 100,000 square feet. Keep state sales taxes at 10%. Allow people to smoke anywhere on their residential property and share what they grow while friends visit.
That’s the opposite of what the Ohio Senate wants to do.
Legislators would have to agree before any bill becomes law.
— Laura
Overnight Scores and Weather
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunshine returns this weekend
Top Stories
Marijuana rules: Ohio now has two competing visions for how its recreational marijuana market should operate, reports Anna Staver. One version, passed by the state Senate, would cut home grow limits, restrict outdoor use and ban sharing. The version introduced in the House on Thursday sticks closer to what voters passed in November 2023.
County Medicaid: As of the end of February, Cuyahoga County had 379,137 residents enrolled in Medicaid, or roughly a third of the county’s population. Of those, about 101,000 people fall under the 2013 expansion, which extended medical coverage to those making less than 138% of the federal poverty level, or about $44,000 per year for a family of four. Kaitlin Durbin reports that those benefits might be at risk.
Today in Ohio: Ohio Republican legislators have formed a DOGE caucus in search of government efficiency. But they’re starting with property taxes. We’re talking about their adoption of the moniker for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
Statehouse and Politics
Censure: U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo was among 10 Democrats who voted Thursday with Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to censure a Texas Democrat who disrupted President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress. Sabrina Eaton reports that Kaptur said she voted to censure Al Green, just as she voted to censure South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson for disrupting a 2009 speech by President Barack Obama, because she doesn’t “believe such forms of protest should occur in the House Chamber during a Joint Address to Congress.”
Capitol flags: Offended that some Congress members displayed Ukrainian flags in the House of Representatives chamber during President Donald Trump’s Tuesday speech, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno is introducing legislation that would ban flying foreign flags on Capitol Hill, reports Sabrina Eaton.
Anti-fracking: More than 40 people gathered Thursday outside the Ohio Statehouse to voice their opposition to oil and gas extraction and wastewater injection in Ohio. Jake Zuckerman reports they criticized state lawmakers for allowing the gas industry to drill for natural gas underneath state parks and public lands. And they lashed out at regulators for what they described as overly lax oversight of injection wells, where operators inject toxic brine deep underground at high pressure.
Northeast Ohio News
CLE budget: After weeks of debate, Cleveland City Council and Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration have finalized the city’s $810 million budget, deciding where taxpayer dollars will go in the year ahead, reports Sean McDonnell. Aside from the squabbling over an extra $4.6 million for council’s discretionary funds, the negotiations also led to $15.2 million in spending for a range of priorities like resurfacing streets, an LGTBQ+ liaison for Cleveland residents, more instructors at recreation centers and hiring more paramedics.
Inmate dies: A Cuyahoga County Jail inmate died Thursday night after being rushed to the hospital when he collapsed during recreational activities, Cliff Pinckard reports. The 27-year-old inmate “suddenly collapsed” at about 7:25 p.m. and later was pronounced dead at MetroHealth Medical Center.
RTA app: You’ll soon likely be able to just tap your way onto RTA buses and trains with your credit card or smartphone, reports Rich Exner. Adding tap and pay technology is just one of a series of fare changes that unanimously cleared RTA board’s committee as a whole this week with a recommendation for approval when the proposals are taken up during a regular board meeting.
Laid-off workers: Cleveland and Cuyahoga County’s workforce development board is launching a new initiative to help workers who might be laid off amid President Donald Trump’s plans to fire federal employees and cut federal grants and loans. Sean McDonnell reports that Greater Cleveland Works will offer the same services to fired federal employees as they do during mass layoffs at local employers, like help searching for a new job, funding for job training and help filing unemployment claims.
Euclid buildings: The Michigan-based companies behind the apartments that the city of Euclid largely condemned this week have ties to other Northeast Ohio properties with histories of safety violations, Cory Shaffer reports. The sprawling, 33-building Parkside Gardens complex across from Euclid’s Bluestone Elementary School is owned by ROCO-Parkside LLC, a subsidiary of ROCO Real Estate, and managed by Friedman Communities.
Water tower: The repainting of Avon’s water tower began Thursday, kicking off a project expected to be completed by June 30.
Business and Health
GCP report: Greater Cleveland is on the rise, but its future hinges on population growth. Molly Walsh reports that’s the outlook from the regional chamber of commerce, Greater Cleveland Partnership, whose 2024 annual report says job growth remains sluggish as the region’s population struggles to keep pace.
COVID: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio dropped by about 1,000 in one week, moving from 4,141 last week to 3,110 this week, reports Julie Washington. It was the fourth straight week that case numbers fell.
Crime and Courts
Meth raid: Police seized methamphetamine and fentanyl Wednesday during a raid on a home in Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood. Officers arrested Lexington Jacobs, 30, during the search in the 2100 block of 22nd Street Southwest, according to a police statement. He was accused of drug and weapons charges, as well as tampering with evidence.
Online scams: Authorities have seized $8.2 million in cryptocurrency during a large-scale and growing FBI investigation into online scams that have targeted people here and across the country, Adam Ferrise reports. That seizure includes $652,000 that scammers pilfered from a Mentor woman, who lost her life savings, including a retirement account, federal prosecutors wrote in court records in asking a judge to approve the seizure.
Street takeovers: Two men who blocked a busy Cleveland intersection during a street takeover last fall were sentenced to prison Thursday and ordered to pay the city nearly $40,000 in damages, reports David Gambino. Gauge Franklin, 19, and John Dietrich, 20, pleaded guilty last month to felony aggravated riot and inducing panic and misdemeanor arson.
Officer DUI: A Cleveland police officer has been placed on unpaid leave after he was charged with drunken driving and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle in an off-duty incident. Lucas Dapriles reports that about 4:30 a.m. Saturday, a trooper with the State Highway Patrol pulled over Cleveland police officer Steven Schmitz on Interstate 90 in Avon, according to the citation.
Arts and Entertainment
Ask Yadi: Do people have a responsibility to tell others when they’re diagnosed with something contagious like COVID-19? Yadi Rodriguez says yes. If someone you were in close contact with comes down with something contagious, they absolutely owe you the courtesy of informing you.
‘& Juliet’: “& Juliet,” at Playhouse Square through March 23, is an exhilarating production and a hell of a good time, Joey Morona reports. Set to the music of Max Martin, the pop hitmaker, it tells two stories at once, following William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne, debating what would happen if Juliet didn’t die at the end of his tragedy.
Sausalito: After nearly a year of closure, Sausalito Kirtland reopened Thursday with a reimagined space and new menu. Paris Wolfe reports that while the dining room footprint remains the same, diners will find cosmetic changes like new flooring, tabletops, lighting and more.
Most beautiful: The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard has been named Most Beautiful Restaurant in Ohio by LoveFood.com. Marc Bona reports the site provides food and recipe content to inspire home cooks, chefs and eaters alike.
Best pizza: Whether you’re a lifelong resident or just visiting the area, cleveland.com’s partnership with Stacker is here to help you score the perfect pie. Together, we’ve detailed the 30 highest-ranked pizza restaurants in Cleveland, as reviewed by users on the ever-popular Tripadvisor website.
Women in blues: The Treelawn in Cleveland’s Waterloo Arts District is celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day this weekend with a four-day music and arts festival celebrating women in the blues, reports Malcolm X Abram.
Farmers markets: This is the final month for the seasonal North Union indoor winter markets at Van Aken District in Shaker Heights and Crocker Park in Westlake, reports Marc Bona.
Stan Hywet: Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron is scheduled to open for the season on April 1. Marc Bona reports that throughout April, guests who buy a ticket for a self-guided Manor House tour and donate a non-perishable food item when they arrive will receive a second ticket.
Things to do: There’s a plethora of ways to have fun this weekend, whether you fancy theater, music, sports, museums or nature. The best part is that you don’t have to pick just one. Joey Morona lists 21 of our top picks.
You’re all caught up
Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.
— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by by Cliff Pinckard.
Other Top Stories
Cardboard boat race tests Lakewood High School students’ physics knowledge (photos) Read more
Westlake man wielding machete chases Circle K worker in Berea Read more
Find your new best friend: Cleveland APL offering $21 dog adoptions on Fridays in March Read more
Mixed-use project proposed for former Bahama Breeze site in Orange Read more
Flood relief project to temporarily close Stearns Road bike path in North Olmsted Read more
Olmsted Township prioritizes a healthy tree canopy Read more
Fantasy Football Expo returns to Canton in August Read more
University Heights mayor touches on local and national issues in his final State of the City address Read more
Ohio now has two competing visions for how its recreational marijuana market should operate. Read More
