TACO passed, but what does that mean?

TACO passed, but what does that mean?

The Athens Cannabis Ordinance, or TACO, passed during Tuesday's election by a wide margin. Photo via Public Domain Photos.

The Athens Cannabis Ordinance, or TACO, passed during Tuesday’s election by a wide margin. As with any law or ordinance concerning cannabis in Ohio, it can be confusing. Let’s break it down .

What does TACO actually do?

TACO is an ordinance that eliminates the penalty fine for marijuana misdemeanors of up to 200 grams worth of possession or cultivation within Athens city limits. It also allows residents to have up to ten grams of hash with a maximum fine of $1.

Yes, this means that marijuana is still illegal in Athens. Activists in favor of TACO argue that marijuana depenalization in Athens will incentivize law enforcement to place less priority on the punishment of marijuana misdemeanors and instead focus on more violent crime.

WATCH: Here’s what you need to know about TACO

But how does TACO work?

TACO was able to manipulate Amendment XVIII, Section 3 of the Ohio State Constitution, which allows municipalities to make their own police regulations.

An example of this would be the fact that municipalities are allowed to raise or lower the fine for traffic violations in their municipality. This same concept also allows municipalities to reduce the fines for marijuana misdemeanors.

This is only possible because Ohio decriminalized marijuana, meaning that it is no longer a felony sentencing.

Is this ordinance the first of its kind?

In 2015, the city of Toledo depenalized marijuana, becoming the first municipality in Ohio to do so. The depenalization is a sharp difference from the $150 misdemeanor fine that follows an Ohio law code marijuana violation.

Last year, four municipalities — Newark, Logan, Roseville and Bellaire — all passed similar legislation that depenalizes marijuana within municipality limits.

The devil’s (lettuce) is in the details.