Money, Power, and Your Rights: An Ohio Voter Explainer

As Ohioans go to the polls next week, there’s still a lot to be decided with regards to cannabis—even though nothing about it is directly on the ballot. When voters legalized adult-use cannabis in 2023 across the state, many assumed the debate was over and the new law was set in stone. But then Senate Bill 56 (SB 56) rewrote parts of the voter-approved law.

With the future of cannabis access, home cultivation, and community investment being shaped by politicians and millions of dollars in campaign contributions, voters can express their support or discontentment with officials by casting their ballots on November 3rd. MedicateOH presents a look at how political campaign funding works, how Ohio candidates differ on cannabis reform, and why doing your own candidate research matters when you head to the ballot box.

Candidate Stances on Cannabis Reform

Selecting who wins the Governor’s race is one of the most important decisions Ohioans will make next week. While state representatives and state senators write the laws that govern consumer rights, tax allocations, and business licensing, the Governer holds veto power over any state legislation that gets passed. The outgoing Governer, Mike DeWine, held up access to cannabis in multiple ways:

• He repeatedly held press conferences and issued statements calling Issue 2 a “mistake” for Ohio.
• He framed opposition around public safety and public health, arguing that legalization would lead to an increase in workplace accidents, impaired driving, and higher youth consumption rates.
• He urged lawmakers to cut home cultivation significantly or eliminate it entirely, arguing that unmonitored home cultivation made it too easy to feed an illegal black market.
• He pressured the legislature to lower state potency limits on concentrates to 70% (and apply lower caps on cannabis flower, arguing that high-potency concentrates posed mental health risks and could lead to accidental overconsumption.
• He called for taking tax proceeds away from voter-approved social equity programs and host cities and redirected them toward state law enforcement training, police equipment, jail operations, and substance abuse treatment.
• He pushed lawmakers to ban smoking or vaporizing cannabis in any public outdoor space, parks, or sidewalks and supported provisions allowing landlords and commercial property owners to outright ban legal use or possession on private leased property.
• He issued a specific line-item veto targeting hemp drinks when he signed SB 56 into law in March.

While Governor DeWine pushed hard to reshape cannabis rules during his administration, state term limits thankfully prevent him from seeking a third consecutive term in 2026. This leaves the future of Ohio’s cannabis laws entirely in the hands of the candidates vying to replace him.

Ohio Gubernatorial Candidates

• Amy Acton (Democrat): Amy’s platform supports keeping voter-approved adult-use rules intact. She advocates for preserving consumer choice, protecting home-grow allowances, defending tenant and parental civil rights, and restoring community social equity funds.
• Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican): Vivek’s platform emphasizes strong regulatory control, redirecting cannabis tax revenues toward law enforcement training and state funds and imposing tighter market licensing limits. He has publicly stated his opposition to adult-use cannabis legalization. Campaign finance records show that executive donors, corporate PACs, and industry stakeholders across various sectors—including several major cannabis operators—have contributed to his campaign. Ramaswamy also got significant backing from OHCann, a trade group & political action committee representing licensed cannabis companies in the state. In September, the group gave $15,000 between two donations.
• Don Kissick (Libertarian): Don’s platform supports complete deregulation, full decriminalization, and removing government limits or special taxes on personal adult cultivation and consumption.

Ohio Statehouse Candidates

All 99 House of Representative seats are up for election on November 3rd. Members of the Ohio House serve two-year terms. There are also 17 of 33 Senate seats up for election. Senators serve staggered four-year terms, so only the odd-numbered districts are on the ballot.

How individual legislators voted previous can help predict the future of cannabis laws in Ohio:

• Pro-Voter Intent Legislators: State lawmakers (primarily Democrats, including leaders like Sens. Nickie Antonio and Hearcel Craig) voted NO on SB 56. They advocated for upholding original voter intent, protecting 12-plant home cultivation, expanding expungements for past offenses, and keeping tax revenues in local host communities.
• Regulatory Oversight Legislators: State lawmakers (primarily Republicans, including leaders like Sens. Rob McColley and Andrew Brenner) voted YES to pass SB 56 revisions. They supported tighter state regulations, limiting or eliminating home cultivation, lower THC potency caps, and shifting tax dollars to state general funds and law enforcement away from the social equity and jobs program.

Find out how your Senator or House representative voted on SB 56 here.

Could Social Equity Provisions Be Restored?

When legislative revisions like SB 56 moved through the Statehouse, social equity programs designed to reinvest tax dollars into communities historically impacted by drug enforcement were eliminated. The Ohio General Assembly has the power to pass new legislation at any time. If voters elect state representatives and senators who value community reinvestment and fair market access, lawmakers can introduce new bills that could:

• Re-establish social equity grants and small-business licensing paths.
• Protect legal consumers from workplace, housing, or child custody discrimination.
• Create automated, low-cost pathways to expunge past non-violent cannabis convictions.

PACs, Super PACs, and Political Money: Legal Influence or Bribe?

To understand state politics, it helps to “follow the money”. Candidates running for office raise funds from individual supporters, as well as two main types of political committees. Political Action Committees (PACs) pool money from individuals or corporate entities to donate directly to candidate campaigns, subject to legal spending caps. Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, and donor groups. Super PACs cannot coordinate directly with a candidate’s official campaign committee, but they do a lot to try to sway voters involving certain issues.

Is Corporate Funding a “Legal Bribe”?

Under federal and state campaign finance laws, political contributions are protected speech. Giving money to a campaign or Super PAC is completely legal unless there is a explicit, proven deal (quid pro quo) exchanging money directly for an official vote or action.

Even though these donations are legally permitted, to the average voter, heavy corporate spending often feels like bribery. While following campaign money frequently reveals aggressive corporate lobbying that looks scummy on the surface, it does not necessarily mean an illegal act took place.

While legal, big campaign contributions often appear unethical and raise an important question for voters: Why do large business interests donate heavily to candidates who oppose their industry?

Why would cannabis executives fund a candidate who opposes it?

Large cannabis corporations sometimes support candidates who advocate for strong state oversight because campaign contributions help establish direct access to political leaders. By building relationships with lawmakers, corporate executives can work to ensure their business interests are represented and reflected when legislative rules, tax structures, and industry licensing limits are written.

Whether these contributions represent smart business strategy or an effort to shape state laws in favor of deep pockets is a question for every voter to evaluate.

5. How to Research Candidates and Prepare to Vote

Political campaigns are full of advertising, complex PAC funding, and competing claims. But when you step into the voting booth, the final decision rests entirely with you.

Rather than relying on campaign commercials or viral social media posts, voters should look up candidate voting records, review public platform statements, and research who funds their campaigns.

To verify your voter registration, review sample ballots, check local voter guidelines, or locate your assigned polling place, you can use the state’s central voter portal at VoteOhio.gov. For direct details on state legislative district boundaries, visit the Ohio Secretary of State Data Portal.

Have a question about cannabis or other drug policy in Ohio? Email it to us here.