As we near the end of April, three Ohio bills written to alter cannabis laws remain active, with hearings on schedule for this Wednesday in the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. Patients and consumers continue to oppose these changes, which they see as an unnecessary overreach of the law voters approved in 2023.
What Bills Will Be Heard this Week?
Sub. Senate Bill SB 56 (1st hearing) – This bill will replace SB 56 that MedicateOH has covered extensively since it was introduced in the Senate in February. This bill has passed in the Senate and only needs to be passed in the House of Representatives to become law. On Wednesday, Sub. SB 56 will be read to the Judiciary Committee by its sponsors. No proponent, opponent, or interested party testimony will be heard.
HB 160 – This bill also seeks to regulate the cannabis and hemp industries, but in slightly different ways that SB 56. This bill was introduced in the House as a response to SB 56. Learn more about the details of that bill in our previous story about it. In this second hearing on this bill, proponent testimony only will be heard.
HB 198 – This bill was introduced in the House in April and aims to limit THC hemp sales over 3 percent to dispensaries. In this second hearing on this bill, proponent testimony only will be heard.
Patients, consumers and small businesses have been vocal about these bills, noting foremost that changing these details subverts the will of the voters who overwhelmingly supported this when it was passed by ballot measure in 2023.
What’s the Big Deal? Bills Threaten Drivers, Passengers, Non-Homeowners
The most troublesome part of SB 56 is the driver and passenger penalties. The penalties make driving while under the influence of cannabis a more serious offense than driving drunk in Ohio. At the very least, cannabis-related driving offenses should not be more severe than drunk driving. It’s also important to note that a new study found that driving under the influence of cannabis may not be as dangerous as previously thought, especially among experienced medical patients.
Beyond criminalizing driving, SB 56 egregiously targets passengers, too. By enacting this law, Ohio would be making a law that would mean patients and consumers of cannabis can’t safely travel anywhere outside their homes without risking a fine. In several previous hearings, advocates noted that enacting this law would mean patients who don’t own their own homes don’t have anywhere to legally use their medicine.
Limits to Personal Freedoms
SB 56 also aims to further limit home growing in Ohio, a contentious issue for advocates. Home growing isn’t just about freedom—it’s an economic lifeline for many patients who use cannabis as medicine. With cannabis prices kept high due to tight regulations and monopolized markets, home cultivation offers a way for patients and consumers to save money and take more control of their health. But even that freedom is limited. Renters and those in government housing are barred from growing, leaving behind the most vulnerable who already face barriers to access and affordability.
The government, by allowing unchecked corporate control, is making us sicker by the day, noted one advocate who chose to remain anonymous. In the broader context, she said, utility prices are increasing rapidly. At the same time, Ohio’s natural resources, like our water and reservoirs, are facing mismanagement and contamination. She said it is unjust to continue prioritizing corporate cannabis profits over Ohioans’ health and financial security. “Lawmakers must stop treating cannabis like a cash cow and start treating it like the medicine and wellness resource it truly is. If the state truly cared about public health, economic fairness, and democracy, they would expand—not restrict—home grow rights.”
What happens next?
Legislators will consider testimony from citizens and businesses that support these three bills. Next, they will set a time to hear opponent testimony on these bills in the House of Representatives, which may come as early as next week. The legislature may opt to advance any of these measures quickly to a vote if there is likely to be consensus, so it’s important to contact your legislators via phone or email this week if you have opposition. The best way to do this is by telling your own personal story about how you or your loved ones would be negatively impacted by its passage.
You can also be present this Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the Statehouse, Room 115 to show your interest as a citizen, although opposing views will not be heard.
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