Ingram Condemns Marijuana Changes That Subvert Will of the People

Today, state Senator Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) 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.

“I voted no the first time, and I will continue to vote no on these changes that go directly against what the voters wanted,” said Ingram. “The people of Ohio have entrusted us to make thoughtful and reasonable adjustments, as needed, to the approved State Issue 2, such as aligning the statute with current law and protecting our children. The provisions in S.B. 56 simply go far beyond reason and ultimately undermine the integrity of our democracy. The reality is the voters know what they voted for, and for my colleagues to assume that they did not is astounding.”

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
• 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.