Weinstein Condemns Marijuana Changes That Subvert Will of the People

Today, state Senator Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) released the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 56, which overhauls the adult-use recreational marijuana laws that the majority of Ohioans voted to approve in 2023.

“In 2023, Ohioans made their voices heard by overwhelmingly voting in favor of Issue 2 to legalize marijuana,” said Weinstein. “Now, SB 56 stands in direct opposition to that decision, threatening to restrict access to legal cannabis and undermine the progress we've made. The recreational market has been successfully operating for over a year, without significant issues, while fostering the growth of new businesses across the state. It’s surprising to see Republicans backing a bill that imposes higher taxes and stricter regulations. Ohio is already benefiting from a thriving legal cannabis market, and this bill could drive promising businesses to neighboring states with more favorable conditions, ultimately costing Ohio jobs and revenue.”

Senate Democrats offered several amendments that would have ensured the bill respected the will of the voters who overwhelmingly approved Issue 2. Some of those amendments would have:

• Eliminated financial barriers to expungement
• Aligned public smoking rules for marijuana with public smoking rules for cigarettes
• Increased the limit on home grow plants from 6 to 9 per household
• Restored the THC content and milligram serving/packaging limits to current law
• Restored the dispensary license distribution to current law

Senate Bill 56 now heads to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration.