Graphic of the week: Changes in cannabis use, attitudes following legalized recreational use

Nearly three years after Ohio legalized recreational cannabis, cannabis use is up 1.3 percentage points (about 120,000 people), and more than four in 10 Ohioans believe cannabis use poses no health risks, according to a statewide poll from OneOhio Recovery Foundation, as illustrated above.
 
This shift follows voters’ approval of Ohio Issue 2 in 2023, which allowed the sale and purchase of recreational cannabis in the state. Since then, Ohio policymakers have continued to refine the regulatory framework through House Bill 96 (the state fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget) and Senate Bill 56, which went into effect in March.
 
At the same time, cannabis use remains an important public health concern. According to data included in HPIO’s 2026 Health Value Dashboard, Ohio ranks 38 for teen cannabis use, meaning its rate is higher than all but 13 states.

These concerns are compounded by changing attitudes about cannabis. Data from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation poll shows that nearly seven in 10 Ohio adults (67%) believe cannabis has become more acceptable since legalization. Nearly one in five Ohioans (19%), including one in four women who are pregnant or plan to be, consider it safe to use cannabis while pregnant.
 
In addition to regulatory changes, the most-recent Ohio budget changed how recreational cannabis tax revenue is allocated compared with what voters approved in the original ballot language. It eliminated allocations for a cannabis social equity and jobs program and a substance use and addiction fund, which would have reserved some cannabis tax revenue for addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services. The budget retains the 36% set-aside for the host community cannabis fund, which goes to local governments in communities that have cannabis dispensaries, and directs the remaining 64% of revenue to the state’s general fund.
 
Shortly after the passage of Issue 2, HPIO identified four policy goals for policymakers to consider when establishing and refining a regulatory framework for recreational cannabis that addresses the complex balance between public health, public safety, equity and justice. These goals are based on lessons learned from the successes and failures of tobacco and alcohol control policy in Ohio.