Fifteen of sixteen Senate Republicans voted against the bill.
Topic: Legislation
If enacted, the law will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Members of a legislative conference committee approved and advanced a negotiated version of Senate Bill 56, which makes numerous changes to the state’s voter-approved adult-use marijuana legalization law.
“This bill is a slap in the face to the millions of Ohioans who voted in favor of Issue 2. Once again, politicians are arrogantly trying to claim that the public didn’t know what they were voting for.”
Under the new law, patients with chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and other newly eligible conditions may obtain state-licensed medical cannabis products.
Advocates say that the Governor’s veto will further delay consumers from gaining access to state-licensed marijuana products.
Medical providers may now issue cannabis authorizations to any patient for whom they believe “the benefit of the medical use of cannabis would likely outweigh the health risks.”
Under the new law, first-time offenders must pay a minimum fine of $300. They can also face up to one year in jail.