Valley leaders voicing opposition against Governor's cannabis tax proposal

One Valley Mayor calls it a slap in the face.

Leaders across the Valley are coming out against a proposal from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine that would take away local revenue streams from cannabis dispensaries.

Ohioans voted to approve recreational marijuana in 2023 with the understanding that a portion of tax revenue would be invested into the community where the dispensary resides.

Now, there's a push to change the state's cannabis laws.

Instead of dispensary communities benefiting from their own marijuana sales tax, the governor wants to put that money into the state's general fund.

Austintown township trustee Robert Santos said this puts a wrench into plans to utilize these future funds for much-needed local improvements.

"We allowed it to come into our communities with that understanding that was on the ballot language, and now, in essence, the rug is being ripped out underneath us, and we're going to lose that funding opportunity, which we could use to help better the community here," Santos said, "It's pretty much disenfranchising the voters of the community, and that's outright wrong. It's immoral and it's unethical."

Struthers Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller said it's unfair and Struthers City Council passed a resolution opposing the measure.

"It definitely will hurt smaller cities, especially like Struthers because once those funds are allocated to the state, sometimes they don't trickle down to the little cities like Struthers and the townships," Miller said. 

Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown said the cannabis funds could be a great injection into the economy that is now jeopardized.

Niles Mayor Steves Mientkiewcz said, "It's a slap in the face" and the sole reason the city opened a dispensary just last week was to also use the tax as a future revenue stream.

"We as a community, and not just Austintown, all over, we're tired of the state taking, taking, taking," Santos added, " They need to help out. Let us govern our community how we know it needs to be governed."

DeWine has the authority to pursue this change with cannabis tax because it was an indirect initiated statute that was open for amendments in the future.

Local leaders encourage people to reach out to the lawmakers representing their area.