Senate Bill 56 Moves Forward in Ohio

The verdict is in on hemp in Ohio. After going through the House and Senate in the Buckeye State, Senate Bill 56 (SB 56) was sent to a legislative conference committee where members voted to approve, as well as advance a "negotiated" version of the bill (1,2). The new version brings new updates to the voter-approved adult-use cannabis legalization legislation.

According to NORML, the bill that was led by Republicans states that "consumers cannot legally possess cannabis products sourced from out of state, including products legally purchased at licensed dispensaries in neighboring jurisdictions. No other legalization state imposes such restrictions," (2). Additionally, "It also repeals provisions that currently protect adult-use consumers from facing either workplace or professional disciplinary action, as well as other forms of discrimination based solely upon their private marijuana use. It imposes new arbitrary limits on the percentages of THC permitted in adult-use and medical cannabis concentrates and it caps the total number of retail licenses permitted statewide."

Senate Bill 56 (3) would limit the sale of some hemp-derived products so that they can only be purchased from state-licensed dispensaries, establish a path for individuals who are interested in expunging prior cannabis-related convictions, specify that adults can consume cannabis legally within their private property, as well as redirect a portion of tax revenues stemming from cannabis transactions that would go to individual municipalities that license cannabis retailers (2).

Prior to the bill heading to the legislative conference committee, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley expressed that, "I think it's abundantly clear we need a regulatory structure around hemp and intoxicating hemp products." McColley added (1), "We have some issues to work out, but I'm confident we can work those issues out."

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