Columbus, OH: Lawmakers held their final hearings of 2023 without taking any further legislative action on bills to modify the state’s voter-approved adult-use legalization law.
Fifty-seven percent of voters favored the ballot measure (Issue 2) in November. The law took effect on December 7th. However, because the measure was put before voters as a statutory question rather than a constitutional amendment, state lawmakers can amend or repeal its provisions.
Earlier this month, Senate President Matt Huffman introduced legislation that sought to repeal much of the law. That plan was met with resounding resistance from voters, pundits, and members of House leadership. (A NORML Action Alert urging lawmakers to respect the majority of Ohio voters’ will was sent to lawmakers over 7,500 times in 72 hours.) Senators eventually approved substitute language that largely preserves adults’ ability to possess and home-cultivate cannabis, but also prohibits Ohioans’ ability to gift marijuana to one another, amend tax rates, and impose a low THC cap on marijuana concentrates, among other changes. House members have yet to take up the Senate’s proposal and are considering their own legislation to modify certain aspects of the new law.
Lawmakers in both chambers are anticipated to revisit the issue when they reconvene in January.
Any modifying legislation passed by lawmakers will not take effect until 90 days after it is signed into law.
Read NORML’s Action Alert.