Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio

Marijuana Law Lecture to Feature Broader Q&A Participation

Even Ohioans who cannot attend the Ohio Supreme Court’s next Forum on the Law Lecture Series will be able to participate by submitting questions via Twitter.

Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor will moderate the May 13 discussion on the topic “Marijuana Legalization and the Law of Unintended Consequences.” Just like past Forum on the Law lectures, a question-and-answer session will follow the main presentation. However, unlike past forums, questions can be submitted in advance and during the program for viewers online.

Twitter users should submit their questions and use #OhioFOTL. Question cards will also be available at the event for audience members.

On May 13, three leading experts will discuss the developing area of law surrounding the regulation of marijuana. The discussion will focus on the challenges in such places as Colorado where a product and business is now legal under state law but illegal under federal law. Areas of interest include the regulation of public health and food safety, financial institutions, the practice of law, and taxation.

The panelists for the forum will be:

David Blake, Colorado’s deputy attorney general for public policy and government affairs. As a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Implementation, he played an instrumental role in the consideration and adoption of the state’s new regulations.

Douglas Berman, professor at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University. He leads a seminar titled “Marijuana Law, Policy and Reform,” and is recognized as a national expert.

Dan Riffle, the director of federal policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, D.C. A graduate of Capital University Law School, he is a former assistant prosecutor in Vinton County.

The forum will begin 5:30 p.m. in the courtroom of the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, 65 South Front Street, Columbus, OH 43215. It will be streamed live online at OhioChannel.org and sc.ohio.gov, and it will be broadcast on the Ohio Channel at a later date.