Ohio Senate passes overhaul of recreational cannabis law

A bill approved 23-9 by the Ohio Senate Wednesday would significantly overhaul a citizen-initiated statute that 57% of voters approved in 2023 to legalize recreational cannabis in Ohio (Source: “Ohio Senate votes to limit home grow, overhaul voter-approved recreational cannabis laws,” Dayton Daily News, Feb. 26).
 
Senate Bill 56, passed along party lines, now heads to the Ohio House for further consideration.
 
If passed by the legislature and signed into law, the bill would enact the first legislative changes to Ohio’s recreational cannabis framework since it was passed via November 2023’s Issue 2.
 
Some of the most notable changes the Senate signed off on include:

• Reducing the maximum THC content in cannabis extracts from 90% to 70%
• Limiting the THC content for edibles to 10 milligrams per serving and 100 milligrams per package
• Reducing the maximum number of home-grown marijuana plants in a single residence from 12 to six
• Prohibiting any non-sanctioned transfer of cannabis between two people regardless of age
• Requiring recreational marijuana to be stored in its original packaging
• Prohibiting the possession of marijuana purchased out-of-state
• Eliminating Issue 2’s Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs Program, which would have provided financial assistance and marijuana license application support to individuals adversely impacted by the enforcement of marijuana-related laws
• Allowing for the expungement of marijuana-related convictions that were made legal under Issue 2