Home News Ohio House Passes Compromise Bill Updating State’s Marijuana Laws

Ohio House Passes Compromise Bill Updating State’s Marijuana Laws

0
SHARE

Measure balances Issue 2 voter mandate with new child-safety protections

COLUMBUS, OH — The Ohio House of Representatives has approved a sweeping update to the state’s marijuana laws, advancing Senate Bill 56 with bipartisan support. The legislation preserves key provisions of the voter-approved Issue 2, while tightening restrictions designed to protect children and regulate intoxicating hemp products.

“This bill has undergone a robust, thorough and collaborative legislative process, and I believe we’ve landed on a good faith compromise,” said House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima). “It reinforces guardrails for the protection of Ohio’s children while respecting the will of the voters.”

State Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), who helped guide the legislation, said the measure “respects and preserves all the core aspects of the Issue 2 initiated statute that Ohioans passed in 2023,” but strengthens safeguards. “We’re banning products that look like fruits or gummy bears and prohibiting advertising aimed at children,” Stewart said. “We’re also making it clear that selling these products to anyone under 21 is illegal.”

Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman) added that the legislation provides a “reasonable compromise” for hemp businesses. “This protects kids from illicit intoxicating products but still gives hemp operators a regulated path forward,” Fischer said. “We respected the will of the voters and made sure local communities will receive the tax revenue they deserve.”

Key Provisions

Senate Bill 56 clarifies several aspects of Ohio’s marijuana law, including:

  • Allowing expungement for past low-level marijuana possession convictions.
  • Maintaining the 10% excise tax rate on adult-use marijuana.
  • Preserving home-grow rights, while banning cultivation in halfway homes and recovery houses.
  • Clarifying personal use rights on residential property.
  • Giving the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) broad authority to regulate marijuana from cultivation through sale.

The bill also dedicates 36% of marijuana excise tax revenue to a Host Community Cannabis Fund to support cities and townships that host dispensaries.

Child and Public Safety Measures

Lawmakers emphasized the bill’s provisions targeting public health and youth safety:

  • Bans marijuana and hemp products with packaging or marketing that appeals to children.
  • Prohibits public smoking and intoxication.
  • Restricts cannabis advertising within 500 feet of schools and churches.
  • Limits intoxicating hemp sales to licensed dispensaries only.
  • Caps THC potency at 70% for extracts and 35% for plant material.
  • Preserves employers’ rights to restrict or discipline marijuana use in the workplace.

Regulating Intoxicating Hemp and THC Beverages

For the first time, Ohio will regulate intoxicating hemp products and THC-infused beverages under state law. Only licensed hemp dispensaries will be permitted to sell these items, subject to strict labeling, potency, and tax requirements.

Low-dose beverages (5mg THC or less) may be sold and consumed at bars and restaurants, while higher-dose drinks (up to 10mg) will be limited to retail sales for off-premises consumption. The bill also authorizes manufacturing of higher-potency beverages for out-of-state sales.

Senate Bill 56 now returns to the Ohio Senate for a concurrence vote.