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Ohio's shifting legal marijuana landscape

A new state law tightened rules on THC products and public use, but court rulings are already complicating enforcement.

Politics

It&#x27;s been exactly one month since Ohio&#x27;s legislature significantly altered the state&#x27;s marijuana rules, and recent legal challenges point to a rocky road of implementation.Why it matters: Senate Bill 56 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rolled back parts" data-vars-click-url="https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2026-01/Ohio%20reforms_SB56%20and%20Issue%202_January%208%202026_final.pdf" data-vars-content-id="35b447de-f80a-412d-9113-3a6bf7a7cc6b" data-vars-headline="Ohio&#x27;s shifting legal marijuana landscape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2026-01/Ohio%20reforms_SB56%20and%20Issue%202_January%208%202026_final.pdf" target="_blank">rolled back parts</a> of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="voter-approved Issue 2" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/06/06/legalized-marijuana-ohio" data-vars-content-id="35b447de-f80a-412d-9113-3a6bf7a7cc6b" data-vars-headline="Ohio&#x27;s shifting legal marijuana landscape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/06/06/legalized-marijuana-ohio" target="_self">voter-approved Issue 2</a>, which legalized recreational marijuana use in 2023. It adds restrictions on what, where and how Ohioans can consume.

"Michael" turns a complicated icon into a flawless fantasy

"Michael" is a flashy love letter to Jackson's unparalleled magnetism, void of controversy.

Music

For just about all of &quot;Michael&#x27;s&quot; roughly two-hour run time, the film&#x27;s titular superstar can do no wrong — and therein lies the problem.The intrigue: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Michael,&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-YAcjaLuSI" data-vars-content-id="f423d8e2-f31e-4ac3-a0b7-7767c01760ac" data-vars-headline="&quot;Michael&quot; turns a complicated icon into a flawless fantasy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-YAcjaLuSI" target="_blank">&quot;Michael,&quot;</a> out April 24, is a flashy love letter to Jackson&#x27;s unparalleled magnetism, void of the controversies that made Jackson one of the most complex figures in pop culture history.

Ohio brewers buck parts of craft beer's national decline

The industry saw a 5% decrease in production last year, a new high outside the pandemic.

News

The craft beer market continued <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="its decline" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/04/29/craft-beer-on-the-decline-ohio" data-vars-content-id="db1412c3-3eec-42e5-a267-c0b0075ee379" data-vars-headline="Ohio brewers buck parts of craft beer&#x27;s national decline" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/04/29/craft-beer-on-the-decline-ohio" target="_self">its decline</a> in 2025, but there is room for optimism at a few craft breweries in Ohio.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="persistent downward trend" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/04/14/craft-beer-production-breweries-2025" data-vars-content-id="db1412c3-3eec-42e5-a267-c0b0075ee379" data-vars-headline="Ohio brewers buck parts of craft beer&#x27;s national decline" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/04/14/craft-beer-production-breweries-2025" target="_self">persistent downward trend</a> is startling the once-booming industry and forcing brewers to rethink their business models and expand into non-beer beverages.

Cuyahoga County's air quality report card isn't pretty

The Cleveland metro area ranked No. 12 nationally for worst annual particle pollution.

Cuyahoga County failed every pollution test in the American Lung Association&#x27;s annual <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="State of the Air" data-vars-click-url="https://www.lung.org/research/sota" data-vars-content-id="525a021f-b23c-4bdb-87b0-8b8e362f11ef" data-vars-headline="Cuyahoga County&#x27;s air quality report card isn&#x27;t pretty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.lung.org/research/sota" target="_blank">State of the Air</a> report released this week.Why it matters: The county is home to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hundreds of thousands" data-vars-click-url="https://www.lung.org/research/sota/city-rankings/states/ohio/cuyahoga" data-vars-content-id="525a021f-b23c-4bdb-87b0-8b8e362f11ef" data-vars-headline="Cuyahoga County&#x27;s air quality report card isn&#x27;t pretty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.lung.org/research/sota/city-rankings/states/ohio/cuyahoga" target="_blank">hundreds of thousands</a> of residents who face a higher risk of pollution-related health problems.

Cleveland moves to end federal police oversight

The city and the DOJ want a judge to terminate the 2015 consent decree.

Cleveland and the U.S. Department of Justice jointly filed a motion Thursday asking a judge to terminate more than a decade of federal oversight of the police department.Why it matters: This could be the end of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the consent decree" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/02/12/cleveland-consent-decree-bernie-moreno" data-vars-content-id="50cea5c6-14ff-40da-a084-3595da6afce6" data-vars-headline="Cleveland moves to end federal police oversight" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/02/12/cleveland-consent-decree-bernie-moreno" target="_self">the consent decree</a>. The 2015 settlement agreement set out to reshape how local police use force, investigate misconduct and interact with residents.

A showdown in Cleveland over proposed Tanisha's Law

City Council and Mayor Bibb clash over creating a new department to send clinicians instead of cops on mental health 911 calls.

Health

Cleveland City Council is pushing to pass legislation early next year that would send clinicians, not police, to certain mental health emergencies.Why it matters: The debate over &quot;Tanisha&#x27;s Law&quot; has exposed a sharp divide between the council and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mayor Justin Bibb&#x27;s administration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/09/30/mayor-justin-bibb-election-2025-safety" data-vars-content-id="11a95e94-89c4-4dd4-8c22-c26c2d72aa8c" data-vars-headline="A showdown in Cleveland over proposed Tanisha&#x27;s Law" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/09/30/mayor-justin-bibb-election-2025-safety" target="_self">Mayor Justin Bibb&#x27;s administration</a>.

11 Ohio traffic deaths reported over Thanksgiving weekend

Northeast Ohio counties saw high enforcement but zero deadly crashes.

Transit

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported 11 deaths in eight fatal crashes during the holiday travel period, which ran Nov. 26-30.Why it matters: Thanksgiving is one of Ohio&#x27;s busiest — and deadliest — travel weekends.

Deepfakes, hacked courts and cloned voices: Inside Ohio's new AI crime wave

Incidents include a February cyberattack that shut down Cleveland Municipal Courts.

Artificial intelligence is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rewriting the playbook" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/artificial-intelligence-ai-crime-fraud-theft" data-vars-content-id="4d0e9d47-82f0-4b9f-9712-7278c61b3b1e" data-vars-headline="Deepfakes, hacked courts and cloned voices: Inside Ohio&#x27;s new AI crime wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/artificial-intelligence-ai-crime-fraud-theft" target="_self">rewriting the playbook</a> for crime.Why it matters: This new class of AI-supercharged crime is putting lives and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="financial systems" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/openai-chatgpt-sam-altman-ai-fraud" data-vars-content-id="4d0e9d47-82f0-4b9f-9712-7278c61b3b1e" data-vars-headline="Deepfakes, hacked courts and cloned voices: Inside Ohio&#x27;s new AI crime wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/openai-chatgpt-sam-altman-ai-fraud" target="_self">financial systems</a> at risk, as evidenced by multiple incidents in Northeast Ohio over the past few years.

Mayor Bibb touts "dramatic strides" in public safety

He shares the highs and lows of his first term, and says there's work to do in a second.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is a virtual lock to win a second term on Nov. 4.State of play: In the absence of a competitive race, we sat down with Bibb to take a look back at his first-term record — from safety to housing to economic development to civic reform — and hear what he has planned for the next four years.

Bibb claps back at Trump admin over crime drop claims

The Cleveland mayor says Democrat-led cities are finding homegrown solutions.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is pushing back on the Trump administration&#x27;s effort to take credit for falling crime rates in major U.S. cities.Why it matters: Bibb&#x27;s response is a natural follow-up to his <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2025 State of the City" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/04/23/justin-bibb-choppy-headwinds-state-of-the-city-speech-2025" data-vars-content-id="cea28f36-e106-41d2-bd77-19b1a7818a5b" data-vars-headline="Bibb claps back at Trump admin over crime drop claims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/04/23/justin-bibb-choppy-headwinds-state-of-the-city-speech-2025" target="_self">2025 State of the City</a> address, at which he lamented forthcoming federal cuts to violence prevention.

10 died in Ohio car crashes over July 4th weekend

Most victims weren't wearing seat belts. Not wearing them remains a secondary violation.

Ten people died in car crashes over the July Fourth weekend, including two in Cuyahoga County and another in Franklin County, per the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Why it matters: Though the overall fatalities were less than in recent years, the majority of victims were not wearing seatbelts.

Cleveland hosts first post-Trump regional gun summit

With ATF under threat, city officials say collaboration — not silence — is their best defense.

Public Safety

Mayors, police chiefs and policy makers from more than a dozen cities across Ohio and the Midwest gathered in Cleveland Friday to put their heads together on guns.Why it matters: It&#x27;s the first regional summit of its kind since President Trump took office, and city leaders are bracing for headwinds from Washington that could imperil their ability to combat gun violence.

Bibb nominates 9 to Cleveland Community Police Commission

The civilian body is about to get a lot of new faces

It&#x27;s line change time at the Cleveland Community Police Commission. State of play: Mayor Justin Bibb submitted nominations Thursday for nine new members on the 13-member body that voters created in 2021 to put police accountability in the hands of civilians.

Ohio law prohibiting "stunt driving" now in effect

The legislation arrives after a series of simultaneous street takeovers in Cleveland.

Dozens of stunt drivers from across Ohio converged on Cleveland late last month, setting off fireworks, blocking intersections, doing doughnuts and intimidating passing motorists in a series of simultaneous street takeovers that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="flummoxed local law enforcement" data-vars-click-url="https://signalcleveland.org/cleveland-street-takeovers-city-council-hearing/" data-vars-content-id="fa4fec0e-c22d-42b1-a03a-a84489c48003" data-vars-headline="Ohio law prohibiting &quot;stunt driving&quot; now in effect" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://signalcleveland.org/cleveland-street-takeovers-city-council-hearing/" target="_blank">flummoxed local law enforcement</a>.Why it matters: The City Council grilled police leadership in the aftermath, demanding stricter accountability for reckless driving and new tactics for preventing dangerous antics on the road.

🛣️ Local road safety 

Cleveland road safety

Stunning crime crash

Cleveland sees drop in homicides, violent crime

A bar chart that shows the largest drops in homicide rates among 67 major U.S. police departments from 2024 to 2025. Orlando, Fla., leads with a 58.3% decrease, followed by Tampa at 52.8% and Denver at 47.1%. Declines range from 31.4% to 58.3%.

Cities with the largest drops in homicide rates, 2024 to 2025

Study: Ohio drivers are less distracted by phones than other Americans

Columbus

A map of Ohio showing average phone usage while driving, by county. Usage is determined by average number of screen taps per 100 miles driven in 2025. On average, Ohioans tap their phone screens 21.9 times per 100 miles, lower than the U.S. average of 23.6 taps. The rate varies by county, from a low of 15.4 in Morrow County to a high of 26.0 in Highland County.
