Ohio's New Marijuana and Hemp Law

Following several months of challlenging debate and negotiations with the Ohio House, Senate Bill 56 sponsored by Senator Steve Huffman passed both chambers and was signed into law.

Senator Huffman is a medical doctor and has worked in emergency medicine for years. He understands the danger that both marijuana and intoxicating hemp pose to our young people which is why the updates to Issue 2, which voters approved in 2023, were critically needed.

Senator Huffman talks about the changes for both products, how the state oversees both dispensaries and grow sites, and how this new legislation finally provided the legal mechanism for local governments to recieve their share of the tax on marijuana sales.

Join us for an engaging President's Podcast and read more details about SB 56 below from when the bill was signed.

UPDATE: Senate Bill 56 signed into law.

Governor Mike DeWine has signed Senate Bill 56, sponsored by Senator Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), strengthening oversight of Ohio’s adult-use marijuana program while protecting children and communities.

SB 56 does the following:

• Places adult-use marijuana under the Division of Cannabis Control
• Caps marijuana dispensaries at 400 statewide
• Establishes buffer requirements from schools, playgrounds, and churches
• Ends the sale of unregulated intoxicating hemp products

All intoxicating hemp products must be bought in a licensed marijuana dispensary following the governor’s line-item veto.

Ohio voters legalized marijuana in 2023. This law provides clear rules and accountability as the state moves forward with implementation.

Read more details about the final version of the bill that updated Ohio's marijuana and intoxicating hemp law below.

The Ohio Senate voted to approve the conference committee report on Senate Bill 56, sponsored by State Senator Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City). 

"After a longer than expected process, I'm pleased to see this bill finally receive approval by both chambers," said Senator Huffman. "Regulations that protect Ohio's children, without overriding the will of Ohioans, ensures proper oversight of our state's marijuana industry. I look forward to seeing the positive effects this bill will bring to our state." 

Senate Bill 56 sets regulation of Ohio's adult-use marijuana program under the purview of the Division of Cannabis Control which already regulates the medical marijuana program. The bill also sets a statutory cap of 400 total marijuana dispensaries with a one-mile buffer between each operation while also requiring that they not be within 500ft of a school, playground, or church. 

Additionally, the bill ends the sale in Ohio of unregulated, untested intoxicating hemp products to children and adults. This follows recent federal actions closing the intoxicating hemp loophole by reclassifying any product with more than 0.4mg of THC as marijuana. 

Following action by the conference committee, Senate Bill 56 permitted the sale of  THC beverages in Ohio under certain regulated conditions through 2026. Governor DeWine, however, line-item vetoed this provision thereby limiting sales of drinkable cannabinoid products to licensed despensaries and the regulatory regime applicable to other forms of adult-use marijuana.

Read the non-partisan Legislative Service Commission Analysis of the final conference report.