quincy said:
Possession of marijuana in the amount Elizabeth said she had would be a minor misdemeanor in all of Ohio.
Again, I respectfully disagree. Ohio's Home Rule provision, Article 18 sec. 3 permits Municipalities to enact their own ordinances as long as they do not conflict with the "General Laws" of the State, and I linked the Niles v. Howard case, and checking Niles current law, ANY amount UP to the Bulk is an M-1. Many Ohio cities have possession of ANY amount or up to bulk, M-4's and above.
This applies to all general offense laws and even traffic laws. For example, State law codifies not fully stopping at a stop sign a Minor Misdemeanor. If any municipality wishes to codify it as an M-4 to an M-1 that is permitted.
Here is Youngstown's MJ Ordinance, no gram or bulk classification, as you can read.
513.03 DRUG ABUSE; CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE POSSESSION OR USE.
(a) No person shall knowingly obtain, possess or use a controlled substance that is included in Schedule III, IV or V, as set forth in the Ohio Revised Code 3719.41, or marijuana.
(b) This section does not apply to the following:
(1) Manufacturers, licensed health professionals authorized to prescribe drugs, pharmacists, owners of pharmacies and other persons whose conduct was in accordance with Ohio R.C. Chapters 3719, 4715, 4729, 4730, 4731 and 4741.
(2) If the offense involves an anabolic steroid, any person who is conducting or participating in a research project involving the use of an anabolic steroid if the project has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration;
(3) Any person who sells, offers for sale, prescribes, dispenses or administers for livestock or other nonhuman species an anabolic steroid that is expressly intended for administration through implants to livestock or other nonhuman species and approved for that purpose under the "Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act", 52 Stat. 1040 (1938), 21 U.S.C.A. 301, as amended, and is sold, offered for sale, prescribed, dispensed or administered for that purpose in accordance with that Act;
(4) Any person who obtained the controlled substance pursuant to a lawful prescription issued by a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of drug abuse, a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(d) In addition to any other sanction that is imposed for an offense under this section, the court that sentences an offender who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of this section may suspend for not less than six months or more than five years the offender’s driver’s or commercial driver’s license or permit.
(e) Forfeiture of property is specifically authorized herein pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2981 et seq. or pursuant to the Codified Ordinances of the City of Youngstown.
(Ord. 09-217. Passed 10-7-09.)