COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein is dismissing misdemeanor marijuana charges, and will no longer prosecute them.
In a statement released Wednesday, Klein says the passage of Senate Bill 57 in Ohio, which legalized hemp, means that he can no longer prove misdemeanor marijuana possession beyond a reasonable doubt.
That's due to the current marijuana testing system used by the Columbus Division of Police. Klein says the current technology cannot differentiate between marijuana and hemp.
He adds that OVI's based on marijuana will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Klein's directive also follows the move by Columbus City Council to reduce the penalties for marijuana possession.