Ohio GOP Lawmaker Files Bill To Revise Voter-Approved Marijuana Law With Less Sweeping Changes Than Senate-Passed Measure

A Republican Ohio lawmaker has launched a rival invoice to Senate-passed laws that seeks to amend the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization legislation. And the proposed adjustments within the House measure are much less sweeping—for instance, sustaining the present allowable quantity of hashish plans that may be grown at dwelling by adults.

Rep. Brian Stewart (R), chair of the House Finance Committee, is sponsoring the brand new 120-page hashish invoice.

Unlike the Senate proposal from Sen. Steve Huffman (R) that moved via the total chamber late final month, Stewart’s laws wouldn’t alter a provision of the present legislation permitting adults 21 and older to develop as much as 12 crops for private use by chopping that quantity in half.

However, it might scale back the utmost THC restrict for hashish extracts from 90 % to 70 %, as News 5 Cleveland first reported.

The Senate invoice would decrease the utmost family plant restrict for dwelling cultivation from 12 to 6, however it equally calls for a similar lowered THC cap. Both payments would additionally make it so solely 350 dispensaries might be licensed within the state.

“While there will obviously continue to be good faith debate and disagreement over the pros and cons of legalization, a majority of our constituents have made it clear to us that they support legal adult-use marijuana that is taxed at a reasonable rate, that is regulated by the state to ensure products are as safe as possible and that can, if desired, be grown at home,” Stewart mentioned throughout a press briefing on Thursday.

Another key element of the House invoice tackles intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid merchandise—one thing the governor has repeatedly known as on lawmakers to handle. Hemp merchandise containing greater than 0.3 % THC might solely be bought at licensed marijuana dispensaries, fairly than at smoke retailers and gasoline stations, for instance.

Additionally, the House measure wouldn’t impose restrictions on the allowable THC milligrams per bundle, whereas the Senate’s model would make it so marijuana merchandise couldn’t exceed 100 milligrams per bundle and 10 milligrams per particular person serving.

The House proposal additionally doesn’t comprise controversial provisions that strictly restrict the place adults can eat hashish. The Senate’s model has come below criticism from advocates, who argue it might successfully stop individuals from smoking or vaping marijuana outdoors of personal residences, for instance by criminalizing consumption in a single’s personal again yard.

The House invoice would keep a provision of the present legislation requiring state hashish regulators to ascertain “standards and procedures for online and mobile ordering and delivery of medical marijuana and adult-use marijuana by a licensed dispensary or an agent of a licensed dispensary.” That coverage can be eliminated below the Senate model.

While the Senate invoice as initially launched would have elevated the tax on marijuana from 10 % to fifteen % and reallocated income, these parts have been eliminated in committee. The House laws would hold the ten % tax fee, however it might distribute 20 % of income to localities that enable marijuana companies inside their borders. That allotment would final for 5 years, and the remaining income can be transmitted to the state basic fund.

Although the elevated excise tax fee was faraway from the newest Senate model, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has separately indicated plans to double the double the current tax rate by way of the funds course of, elevating it to twenty %.

Certain Democrats have thus far indicated a willingness to finesse the hashish legislation, however they’ve mentioned the Senate sponsor’s proposed adjustments to provisions round points equivalent to dwelling cultivation are a bridge too far.

The Senate invoice’s development and House measure’s introduction comes as Ohio’s GOP House speaker seems to have changed his tune on the state’s marijuana law considerably, strolling again his beforehand acknowledged plan to undermine provisions of the voter-approved initiative equivalent to dwelling cultivation rights.

Conflicts between Senate and House Republican management close to the top of the final session performed a key function in stalling modification proposals. It’s unclear if the chambers will be capable of attain consensus this spherical, particularly because the market continues to evolve and shoppers undertake to the legislation.

Ohio’s Senate president just lately pushed back against criticism of the marijuana amendment bill, claiming that the laws doesn’t disrespect the desire of the citizens and would have little affect on merchandise available in shops.

“I believe it’s a reasonable compromise amongst the various interested parties and believe it is good policy for the state of Ohio,” Stewart mentioned of his personal laws. “The goal here is to come out with a bill that we believe can pass.”

Meanwhile, House Speaker Matt Huffman (R), who’s the cousin of SB 56’s sponsor and beforehand served as Senate president, mentioned that whereas he continues to oppose the reform measure voters handed, he doesn’t imagine anybody within the legislature “realistically is suggesting that we’re going to repeal the legalization of marijuana.”

“I’m not for it. I wasn’t for the casinos coming to Ohio, either. But there’s lots of stuff that’s part of the Constitution and the law that are there that I don’t like,” he mentioned.

Stewart on Thursday thanked the speaker “for his involvement at this point, working closely with our policy staff in drafting this legislation.”

To that finish, the speaker indicated he’s not concerned about pursuing plans to broadly undermine the hashish legislation, despite having backed legislation as a Senate leader last session that may have decreased allowable THC ranges in state-legal hashish merchandise, lowered the variety of crops that adults might develop at dwelling and elevated prices for shoppers at dispensaries.

Initially, changes backed by Matt Huffman final yr would have eliminated home cultivation rights entirely for Ohio adults and criminalized all hashish obtained wherever aside from a state-licensed retailer.

While some Democratic lawmakers have beforehand indicated that they might be amenable to sure revisions, equivalent to placing sure hashish tax income towards Ok-12 training, different supporters of the voter-passed legalization initiative are firmly in opposition to letting legislators undermine the desire of the bulk that accredited it.

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Meanwhile, as 2024 got here to an in depth with the brand new marijuana legalization legislation in impact, Ohio officers introduced the state saw adult-use cannabis sales exceed $242 million.

As the 2025 session will get underway, lawmakers are additionally anticipated to think about key adjustments to the state’s hemp legal guidelines. In November, legislators took testimony on a proposal that may ban intoxicating hemp merchandise within the state. Steve Huffman, the sponsor of the marijuana revision invoice, launched that proposal after the governor known as on lawmakers to regulate or ban delta-8 THC products.

As the 2025 session will get underway, lawmakers are additionally anticipated to think about key adjustments to the state’s hemp legal guidelines. In November, legislators took testimony on a proposal that may ban intoxicating hemp merchandise within the state. Huffman, the sponsor of the marijuana revision invoice, launched that proposal after the governor known as on lawmakers to regulate or ban delta-8 THC products.

Separately, regardless of legalization of adult-use hashish in Ohio, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’s (VA) Cincinnati well being heart issued a reminder final summer time that government doctors are still prohibited from recommending medical cannabis to veterans—a minimum of so long as it stays a Schedule I managed substance below federal legislation.

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