Republican Lawmakers in Ohio Introduce Bills to Roll Back Voter-Approved Cannabis Legalization

Republican state lawmakers in Ohio have set their sights on the state’s voter-approved cannabis legalization initiative with two bills designed to roll back the initiative. The bills target Issue 2, a recreational marijuana legalization ballot measure that passed in November 2023 with 57% of the vote.

Ohio Senate Approves Bill to Reduce Homegrown Cannabis and THC Limits

Late last month, the Ohio Senate approved a bill that would make significant changes to Issue 2. If signed into law, Senate Bill 56 would cut the limit of cannabis plants home cultivators are allowed to grow from 12 to six. The bill would also add new criminal penalties for some cannabis-related activities and roll back Issue 2’s social equity provisions, among other changes to the successful ballot measure.

Issue 2 legalized marijuana use and possession in Ohio by adults aged 21 and older, who are also allowed to grow up to 12 cannabis plants per household. The first licenses for recreational marijuana retailers were issued in June 2024, with regulated sales of adult-use cannabis beginning approximately six weeks later.

Senate Bill 56 would also reduce the THC limit for cannabis concentrates to 70%, down from the current limit of 90%. The legislation would also ban the public consumption of cannabis, which would include a ban on smoking outdoors on private property, News 5 Cleveland reported last week.

Supporters and Opponents Debate the Legitimacy of Senate Bill 56

Before the bill was passed by the Senate, Republican state Sen. Steve Huffman, the sponsor of the bill, defended his efforts to change legislation approved by the voters of Ohio, according to a report from cannabis news outlet Marijuana Moment.

However, Democratic Sen. Bill DeMora opposed the bill, stating that the legislation goes against the will of the voters and will kill the adult industry in Ohio.

The Ohio Senate approved Senate Bill 56 by a vote of 23-9 on February 26. The measure has been referred to the Ohio House of Representatives, where it will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee.

Separate House Bill 160 Also Proposes Changes to Issue 2

On March 6, GOP Rep. Brian Stewart, the chair of the House Finance Committee, introduced House Bill 160, a separate measure that would make changes to Issue 2. Like Senate Bill 56, the bill also reduces the THC cap on cannabis concentrates to 70%. Unlike the Senate bill, however, Stewart’s bill does not cut the limit on the number of cannabis plants that can be grown by home cultivators.

House Bill 160 is awaiting committee assignment in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Cannabis Policy Reform Advocates Strongly Oppose Efforts to Amend Issue 2

Last week, representatives of drug policy reform and civil liberties organizations held a virtual meeting to oppose efforts by Ohio Republicans to change the state’s legalization of cannabis through Issue 2. The webinar, which was attended by leaders from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, was held online on March 13. During the online meeting, speakers said the legislation to amend Issue 2 is an effort to deny the will of the people.