A bill heavily amended in the Ohio Senate in response to the passage of Issue 2 is awaiting action by the Ohio House of Representatives.
In November 2023, Ohio voters passed Statewide Issue 2, an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. The measure, which took effect December 7, 2023, permits adults over 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrate, and grow up to six plants at home.
House Bill 68, once a 15-page bill focused on revising the liquor control laws, turned into a 160-page bill as it was heavily amended in the Senate to change the recreational marijuana laws passed under Issue 2.
Among many changes in the amended bill is a requirement that low-level THC products be sold at marijuana dispensaries instead of over the counter at gas stations, health food stores, grocery stores, smoke shops, and CBD shops.
Another notable change in the bill is the elimination of the Social Equity and Jobs Fund created by the passage of Issue 2. The fund was intended to be supported by 32 percent of tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales to provide resources to communities “disproportionately impacted” by the criminalization of marijuana in the past.
Despite these, among many other changes, Democrat lawmakers applauded the bill after it passed the Senate in December 2023.
Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) called the bill “good public policy that serves the people well.”
State Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) added that the bill’s passage resulted from lawmakers that “listened to the voters, engaged in true bipartisanship, and crafted adult use marijuana legislation in response to the November 7 election results.”
In addition, while calling the bill “far from perfect,” State Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) said the legislation will “help ensure that Ohio has the best adult-use program in the nation.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
