Members of the state Senate voted 23 to 9 along party lines in favor of a substitute version of SB 56, which amends and rescinds several provisions in the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law. Republicans possess super-majority control of the chamber.
The bill reduces the number of plants adults may home-cultivation, sets an arbitrary cap on the total number of retailers allowed statewide, imposes potency restrictions on cannabis products, allots taxes from retail sales into the general fund rather than to allocated programs, and provides new penalties for adults who share their cannabis with other consumers, among other changes.
A proposed tax hike on cannabis products, which was included in the original version of the bill, was removed from the substitute measure. Language facilitating a process for those with minor marijuana possession convictions to petition the courts to have their records expunged was added to the substitute bill.
This legislative effort marks the second time since the law’s passage that Republican lawmakers have sought to either repeal or amend many of its provisions. In late 2023, Senate members introduced separate legislation to gut much of the law. That plan was met with resounding resistance from voters, pundits, and members of House leadership. Senators ultimately advanced a substitute version of the bill, but House members refused to consider it.
In 2024, regulators implemented the law as written. Adult use marijuana sales began last August.
A NORML action alert opposing SB 56 has been shared with Ohio lawmakers nearly 16,000 times. It states: “This bill is a slap in the face to the millions of Ohioans who voted in favor of Issue 2. Once again, politicians are arrogantly trying to claim that the public didn’t know what they were voting for.”
A commentary authored by NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano and Political Director Morgan Fox, published in The Columbus Dispatch, opined: “Lawmakers had years to craft legislation regulating Ohio’s adult-use marijuana market. They chose not to do so, instead leaving the decision up to the electorate. Legislators do not have the right to play Monday morning quarterback now simply because most Ohioans voted in a way they disapprove.”
NORML’s Armentano criticized today’s Senate vote and cautioned that Republican lawmakers’ unwillingness to accept marijuana legalization election outcomes is becoming a disturbing trend.
“In a healthy democracy, those with competing visions on public policy vie for voters’ support and abide by their voting decisions. However, it is becoming clear that those who oppose marijuana policy reform would rather take voters out of the equation altogether,” Armentano said. “Whether or not one personally supports or opposes cannabis legalization, these cynical and undemocratic tactics ought to be a cause of deep concern.”
NORML’s legislative alert opposing Ohio’s Senate Bill 56 is available from NORML’s Take Action page.
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