By: Megan Henry
More than a dozen people spoke out against a bill that would make several changes to Ohio’s marijuana law during Tuesday’s Ohio Senate General Government Committee meeting.
Ohio Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, introduced Senate Bill 56 last month and 40 people submitted testimony opposing the bill.
“This bill isn’t about consumer safety,” said Don Holztrager, with Chronic Wellness LLC. “It isn’t about responsible regulation. It’s about control, corporate monopolies, and shutting out competition.”
Ohio Senate General Government Committee Chair Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, adopted a substitute bill that no longer deals with tax or revenue distributions. The bill originally would have upped the tax on adult-use marijuana from 10% to 15% and funneled all revenue from the adult-use tax to the state general fund.
The current tax revenue is divided up in several ways — 36% to the cannabis social equity and jobs fund, 36% to the host community cannabis fund, 25% to the substance abuse and addiction fund and 3% to the Division of Cannabis Control and Tax Commissioner Fund.
If S.B. 56 passes, some of the biggest changes to Ohio’s marijuana law would be limiting home grow from 12 plants down to six and reducing THC levels in adult-use marijuana extracts from a maximum of 90% to a maximum of 70%.
The bill would also:
- Combine the state’s medical and recreational marijuana programs under the Division of Cannabis Control.
- Require marijuana be transported in the trunk of a car when traveling.
- Clarify that marijuana is only allowed in a private residence.
- Cap the number of active dispensaries at 350. There are currently 132 marijuana dispensaries in Ohio as of Feb. 4, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce.
Several people who testified spoke out against the limits on home grow.
“Home grow should be expanded to at least six plants per adult, not per household,” Holztrager said. “Additionally, home cultivators should have the ability to test and sell to dispensaries and develop their own brands, fostering a thriving small business ecosystem.”
Ohio voters passed a citizen-initiated law to legalize recreational marijuana in 2023, and sales started in August 2024. Since it was passed as a citizen initiative, Ohio lawmakers have the ability to change the law.
Some opponents talked about how this bill rolls back what Ohio voters passed in 2023.
“Not only is it a wholesale abandonment of key policy features of the initiated statute, but it occurs after the General Assembly already had the opportunity but refused to review and alter Issue 2’s language and provisions during the initiated statute process,” said Gary Daniels, ACLU of Ohio’s chief lobbyist.
The state’s total recreational marijuana sales were $333,124,769 as of Saturday, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control
Jason Wilson, owner of Paragon Development Group, disagrees with lowering the TCH levels.
“This is creating difficult pathways to actually providing healing potencies to the customer,” he said. “Also making them spend four to five times the amount of money to get the same amount of THC to help their ailments. This would create more hurdles for helping financially struggling sick patients to access healthy alternatives to dangerous and addictive pharmaceuticals.”
Some opponents said provisions in the bill, including the THC limits, would cause people to drive to Michigan to buy marijuana. Others who testified in opposition said they wished the bill included expungement.
“People are still carrying criminal records for something that’s now legal,” Holztrager said. “If this bill truly supported justice and equity, it would include automatic expungements and pathways for past offenders to enter the industry.”
The bill was originally scheduled for a possible committee vote Wednesday morning, but the meeting was canceled.
