COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that changes state cannabis laws, including new penalties on public usage and a ban on the sale of intoxicating hemp products outside of marijuana dispensaries.
The Ohio House of Representatives passed the bill, SB 56, last month, and the legislation now awaits Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature.
Under the new legislation, customers will be relegated to use recreational marijuana either legally grown at home or purchased in Ohio, prohibiting users from purchasing products from nearby states such as Michigan.
The bill also confines the sale of intoxicating hemp products to certified marijuana dispensaries. Some of these products, such as Delta 8, are sold in convenience stores and other establishments. Those in the cannabis industry have said that these products targeted minors and were readily available.
David Bowling, executive director of the Ohio Cannabis Coalition, or OHCANN, said the organization supports this component of the bill. “This swift response reflects a clear commitment to public safety and a responsible marketplace,” he said in a statement. OHCANN represents marijuana cultivators, processors and dispensaries in the state.
The ban does not prohibit all THC-infused beverages for now.
However, the bill imposes new restrictions on use. The legislation, for example, instates a ban on consuming adult-use marijuana products in public places. While vaping and combustion use were already limited to private property, the new law would also ban gummies or edibles from public spaces. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor.
The bill also lowers the THC content to a maximum of 70%, down from 90%. The bill says those who knowingly grow more than the 12-plant limit per household or six plants per person could be charged with illegal cultivation of marijuana, which could draw charges that range from a misdemeanor to a felony. SB 56 also places additional restrictions on packaging and paraphernalia.
Some Senate Democrats said provisions of the new bill undermine what voters approved after State Issue 2 passed in 2023, allowing recreational use in Ohio.
“This is not what Ohioans want nor is it what they voted for two years ago when Issue 2 passed in 30 of 33 Ohio Senate districts,” said state Sen. Kent Smith, D-Euclid, minority whip. “Statehouse Republicans have been trying to roll back Ohioans’ legal rights and the will of the voters. Today, they did just that.”