Antonio Issues Statement Following Passage of Marijuana Overhaul Bill

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to accept conference committee changes to Senate Bill 56, which significantly changes the state’s adult-use cannabis program and directly undermines the will of Ohio voters, who established Ohio’s recreational marijuana industry by passing State Issue 2 in 2023.

“Democrats have remained very consistent over the last few years since Issue 2 passed. We wanted to respect the will of voters, address unsafe marketing practices–especially towards children– and fund and include expungement,” said Leader Antonio. “Unfortunately, Republicans decided to recriminalize conduct that Ohioans voted to legalize, and redirect cannabis revenue away from Issue 2’s intended purposes, including social equity, substance-abuse treatment, and criminal-justice reform.”
 

S.B. 56 drastically alters key provisions of the recreational marijuana law passed by voters in 2023 and re-criminalizes conduct voters chose to legalize. The bill will:

• Impose stricter limits on THC by reducing current allowable limits;
• Make it easier to characterize adult-to-adult transfers as illegal trafficking, thus restricting the ability to share cannabis with another adult;
• Give the Division of Cannabis Control the ability to make formerly legal paraphernalia criminal;
• Criminalize the possession and use of out-of-state cannabis, making lawful travelers newly subject to prosecution;
• Expand the authority for landlords to prohibit cannabis consumption and home cultivation;
• Roll back protections against adverse actions in housing, employment, and other areas; and
• Reduce the number of individuals who may have their records expunged for prior marijuana-possession offenses.

S.B. 56 now heads to the governor for his signature.