Ohio lawmakers vote to  gut voters’ legalization law

On November 7, 2023, 57% of Ohio voters approved Issue 2, an MPP-backed law legalizing cannabis for adults 21 and older. Adult-use sales began from existing medical cannabis dispensaries on August 6, 2024.

Outrageously, both the Senate and House have voted to whittle away voter-enacted freedoms and recriminalize innocuous conduct. The latest, House-passed version of the bill — SB 56 — now heads back to the Senate, which could pass it or send it to a conference committee. 

Among the other outrageous provisions, as approved by the House, SB 56 recriminalizes cannabis obtained from anywhere other than Ohio-licensed retailers and homegrown cannabis; repeals non-discrimination protections; and caps the total amount of cannabis a person can possess at 2.5 ounces, regardless of how much they harvested from their homegrown plants. The bill also caps the number of cannabis dispensaries at 400 and has licensing and regulation for intoxicating hemp.

The Senate-passed version of the bill would have gone even further with recriminalization, including by making it illegal to pass a joint and to smoke cannabis in one’s own backyard.

In 2023, senators proposed even more outrageous attacks on the voter initiative, including banning home cultivation. MPP, NORML, ACLU-Ohio, other allies, and more than 20,000 Ohioans have decried these rollbacks on voter-approved freedoms. It’s not too late to call your state senator and ask them not to concur in this affront to voters.

Medical Cannabis and Decriminalization in Ohio

In 2015-2016, MPP and our allies mobilized to put medical cannabis on the ballot. In response, state lawmakers passed a law to establish a medical cannabis program for Ohioans in 2016. For more information on Ohio’s medical marijuana program and access to patient forms and other resources, visit Division of Cannabis Control's website. And, for an overview of the current medical marijuana law, see this summary.

Ohio also has one of the oldest “decriminalization” laws on the books, dating back to 1975. While cannabis is now legal for adults, the “decrim” penalties continue to apply to those under 21. For minors, possessing less than 100 grams (or about 3.5 ounces), giving 20 grams or less of marijuana to another person, or growing less than 100 grams of marijuana are each considered “minor misdemeanors,” punishable by a maximum fine of $150. A minor misdemeanor is not a “jailable” offense, but a person’s driver’s license can be suspended for a period ranging from six months to five years.

To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Ohio and federally, be sure to subscribe to MPP's alerts, if you haven't done so already.