DEVELOPING | Ohioans for Cannabis Choice is pushing a referendum so voters can decide whether to overturn Ohio’s new cannabis law

Ohioans for Cannabis Choice is pushing a referendum so voters can decide whether to overturn Ohio’s new cannabis law, Senate Bill 56, which significantly rolls back parts of the adult‑use system voters approved in 2023.

What SB 56 does

• SB 56 rewrites major pieces of the legalization framework created by Issue 2, including tighter limits on THC, shrinking home‑grow rights, and restructuring cannabis tax revenue away from social‑equity and reform programs.

• The bill also caps dispensary numbers, cuts craft‑grower licenses, and reduces cultivation space, which industry advocates say could force thousands of small operators and employees out of the legal market.

How we got here: Issue 2

• In November 2023, Ohio voters passed Issue 2, legalizing adult‑use cannabis for people 21 and over, allowing up to 12 plants per household, and creating a Division of Cannabis Control to license and regulate the new market.

• Issue 2 also set a 10% excise tax whose revenue was earmarked for social‑equity programs, jobs initiatives, and community reinvestment, tying legalization to criminal‑justice and economic reforms.

Why advocates oppose SB 56

• Critics argue SB 56 ignores voter intent by cutting home‑grow limits, lowering THC caps, banning public consumption beyond existing smoke‑free laws, and stripping or redirecting funds meant for equity and treatment.

• Advocacy groups warn the bill will consolidate the industry into fewer, larger players by eliminating small “craft grower” opportunities and limiting dispensary licenses, which they say will “shutter 6,000 small businesses” tied to the cannabis economy.

The new referendum fight

• After SB 56 was signed, Ohioans for Cannabis Choice launched a referendum campaign to repeal it, but Attorney General Dave Yost initially rejected their petition summary as not “fair and truthful,” forcing them back to the drawing board.

• The group has now resubmitted revised summary language with more than 1,000 voter signatures, saying they have fixed every issue identified by Yost and are “determined to give voters the chance to say no to SB 56 in November.”

What happens next

• If the Attorney General and Secretary of State certify the new petition, organizers must collect at least 248,092 valid signatures statewide (with county‑level minimums) by mid‑March to place the SB 56 repeal on the November 2026 ballot.

• If voters approve the referendum, SB 56 would be blocked or repealed, leaving Ohio closer to the broader access and equity‑focused system they endorsed with Issue 2; if it fails, the more restrictive SB 56 framework will define Ohio’s cannabis market going forward.