Ohio GOP senators advance bill to kill marijuana social equity, limit industry

A Republican-led bill to “regulate the cannabis industry to death” passed the Ohio state Senate on a partisan vote.

That’s how the state’s Democratic senators view Senate Bill 56, which, if approved by the full General Assembly and signed into law, would eliminate marijuana social equity, cap the number of retailers statewide and impose a host of new restrictions on an industry that’s barely 6 months old.

Ohio voters legalized adult-use marijuana in 2023, with the first sales recorded in August.

Since then, recreational cannabis stores in the state have recorded nearly $320 million in sales.

The bill’s proposed limits include:

Notably, the bill does not address products containing hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC, according to Columbus-based WOSU Public Media.

The Senate’s 21 Republicans voted in favor of SB 56; all nine Senate Democrats voted against the measure.

Critics note that Republican lawmakers launched efforts to restrict or limit a regulated cannabis market even before voters approved adult-use legalization.

In a statement posted to X, the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union called SB 56 “a rebuke of the people and businesses that drafted the initiative, voted for it, and worked tirelessly to implement it.”

“We are extremely disappointed that Ohio Senators rushed through a bill that torches our adult-use cannabis rights,” the ACLU added.

It’s not yet clear when the Ohio House of Representatives will take up the bill.

Republicans enjoy a decisive 65-34 majority in that chamber.