Ohio House Republicans’ cannabis bill a ‘slap in face”

Changes to Ohio’s voter-approved adult-use cannabis law proposed in a bill introduced this week by House Republicans are less extreme than those passed by the state Senate.

However, the proposed business restrictions, social equity program elimination, THC potency limits and penalties are still a “slap in the face to the 57 percent of Ohio voters who approved” legalization in November 2023, NORML said in a statement.

House Bill 160, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Brian Stewart, would also restrict the sale of products with hemp-derived THC to licensed marijuana stores and dispensaries, according to the Statehouse News Bureau.

In addition, the bill would:

• Cap the number of marijuana stores allowed statewide at 350.
• Impose a buffer zone of a half-mile between licensed retailers.
• Permit Ohio marijuana regulators to reject business applications to prevent “oversaturation” in any one area.
• Ban public marijuana consumption.
• Allow landlords to ban cannabis consumption in a rental property.
• Limit THC to a maximum of 35% in flower and 70% in concentrates.
• Reduce, then eliminate, a tax fund set aside for municipalities with marijuana stores.

Though the measure would eliminate social equity provisions, including a jobs fund, it would keep in place the ability to expunge marijuana-related offenses.

Stewart said  in a statement that his bill “respects the will of the voters by preserving the core, adult-use marijuana features of Issue 2 while adding reasonable protections for Ohio children and addressing intoxicating hemp products that violate the spirit of that ballot initiative.”

After the Ohio Senate approved SB 56 on Feb. 26 on a partisan vote, the state’s Democratic senators called the measure “the first step in Ohio Republicans’ plan to regulate the cannabis industry to death.”