Ohio lawmakers could soon consider a revised measure to amend the state’s recreational marijuana laws, but must thread the needle to placate the disparate voices weighing in.
Ohio senators have passed two measures, and state House members are also considering their own bill in addition to the Senate legislation.In February, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 56, which would amend medical and adult-use marijuana laws and levy marijuana taxes, including lowering the number of marijuana plants grown at home to six. In April, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 86, restricting the sale of hemp and delta-8 to licensed dispensaries.
SB 56 is before the House Judiciary Committee, while SB 86 is before the House General Government Committee. Another similar measure, House Bill 160, is also pending before the House Judiciary Committee.
According to News 5 Cleveland, lawmakers are considering combining SB 56 and HB 160 and want to pass a revised measure by the end of June.
“Generally, trying to get to a place that more people support,” News 5 Cleveland quoted House Finance Chair Brian Stewart, R-Ashville.
“I think that there are going to be some adjustments on the criminalization side that should hopefully address some of those concerns,” Stewart added, according to the report.
In November 2023, Ohio voters approved Issue 2, which regulates the sale of marijuana much like alcohol. More than 57% of Buckeye State voters cast ballots in favor of the measure.
“We want to make sure that the will of voters is protected,” News 5 Cleveland quoted House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington. “We want to make sure that the use of that revenue is upheld.”
However, not everyone is impressed with the measures pending before Buckeye State legislators.
“Lawmakers had years to craft a cannabis legalization bill, but they failed to do so,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, said in an op-ed published in the Akron Beacon Journal. “Instead, the decision to legalize adult-use cannabis fell in the hands of the voters, who overwhelmingly approved Issue 2. HB 160 and SB 56 are a slap in the face to those voters," she said.
“These bills would replace an overall theme of legalization with an air of suspicion, trip wires of re-criminalization to ensnare cannabis consumers for innocuous conduct, and fewer products and licenses,” O’Keefe added.
In prepared testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, Ohio Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, said many of SB 56’s provisions largely reflect what the Senate passed during the last General Assembly.
“First, the bill merges Ohio’s medical and adult-use marijuana programs under the Division of Cannabis Control, which voters recently established with the passage of issue 2,” Huffman said. “Consolidating both programs under the Division will allow for consistent requirements regarding testing, packaging, labeling, and advertising, especially those related to protecting children," he said.
“It also provides for streamlined licensing standards and general compliance procedures, cutting down on bureaucracy, red tape, and government waste,” the lawmaker added. “It is important to note that the bill ensures those entities who were issued licenses under issue 2 maintain their licenses, as many have already been granted and are operational.”
The bill bans public smoking, prohibits driving while a driver or passenger is using marijuana and bars growers from cultivating marijuana at houses that operate in-home childcare programs. It would also maintain the 10% excise tax on adult-use marijuana.
It also maintains an expungement provision. Any Ohioan who has previously been convicted of a marijuana possession charge for an amount that is legal under Issue 2 and SB 56 can apply to a court to have the conviction expunged.
