Ohio: Market and regulatory data analysis of the cannabis sector

12th April 2024: US - Ohio: Republican governor Mike DeWine has called on lawmakers to pass legislation banning public cannabis consumption and also to prohibit the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids, like delta-8 THC. He said another urgent issue the General Assembly should address is restricting intoxicating cannabinoids, since he believes substances such as delta-8 THC are “widely unregulated” and “easily accessible to kids in gas stations and convenience stores in Ohio and disguised as candies and gummies”.
8th January 2024: US - Ohio: Governor Mike Dewine is calling for regulating intoxicating hemp-derived products, such as those containing delta-8 THC, press reports. Dewine expressed concern that these products are being sold widely but that no one in the state currently has jurisdiction over them. A Republican lawmaker is drafting a standalone bill to regulate them.
13th December 2023: US - Ohio: House speaker Jason Stephens told the media that the House will not vote on amendments to the state's new recreational cannabis law before the end of the year. While the House will resume discussions on the amendments in January, Stephens acknowledged that the House will not concur with the current Senate version of the bill.
5th December 2023: US - Ohio: A Senate committee has added and approved major changes to the recreational cannabis legalisation ballot initiative approved by voters last month that is scheduled to take effect on 7th December, press reports. The emergency measure was attached to a liquor control bill and would make the following changes, among others: prohibit home cultivation of cannabis, set potency limits on cannabis products, reduce the permissible amount of cannabis that may legally be possessed, increase the cannabis excise tax from 10% to 15%, redirect tax revenues, restrict public consumption, and decrease the permissible number of dispensaries. The bill must be approved by the plenary Senate, which could vote on it this week, and then by the House.
8th November 2023: US - Ohio: Ohio has become the 24th state to legalise recreational cannabis after voters passed a ballot initiative to do so, press reports. The initiative, which becomes effective in 30 days (7th December), allows adults (21+) to possess, purchase and cultivate up to six plants at home. A 10% sales tax will be levied on the purchase of recreational cannabis and advertising would be allowed, though regulators could later set certain restrictions. The initiative creates the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce to oversee the programme and requires rules to be approved and licences to be issued within nine months of the effective date of the initiative, that is, by 7th September 2024.
7th November 2023: US - Ohio: Voters will decide today (7th November) the fate of an initiative to legalise recreational cannabis in the state. If passed, recreational cannabis could be possessed, sold and used by adults (21+) in all major product formats. A 10% sales tax would be levied on the purchase of recreational cannabis and advertising would be allowed, though regulators could later set certain restrictions. With a population of over 11m people, Ohio is the seventh largest state in the US and would be the fourth-largest state to legalise recreational cannabis.
17th August 2023: US - Ohio: The Ohio secretary of state has verified enough signatures for an initiative to legalise recreational cannabis in the state to reach the 7th November election ballot, press reports. If passed by voters, recreational cannabis could be possessed, sold and used by adults (21+) in all major product formats, and legislation would include licensing for cultivating, processing, dispensing and testing. A 10% sales tax would be levied on the purchase of recreational cannabis, and advertising would be allowed, though regulators could later set certain restrictions.
4th August 2023: US - Ohio: Organisers of a November ballot initiative to legalise recreational cannabis in the state have submitted nearly ten times the amount of necessary signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot, press reports. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) fell short by 679 signatures after the first round of submissions, but has submitted approximately 6,500 additional signatures within the ten-day period that it had to submit more. If at least 679 signatures are validated, it would appear to be the last hurdle to reach the November ballot, though legalisation ballot initiatives are often challenged in court.
13th July 2023: US - Ohio: The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) has voted to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a qualifying condition in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP), expanding the total number of qualifying conditions to 26. The decision is effective immediately, allowing individuals with IBS to access medical cannabis for therapeutic purposes. However, the board rejected petitions to include autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as qualifying conditions in the programme.
6th July 2023: US - Ohio: The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) has submitted more than 220,000 signatures to qualify a recreational cannabis legalisation initiative for the state’s November ballot, following the legislature’s failure to act on the reform, press reports. Signatures of 124,046 registered voters must be validated for the measure to reach the ballot. The proposed initiative would legalise possession of up to 2.5 oz of cannabis for adults, allow personal cultivation of up to six plants per household, and establish a Division of Cannabis Control to regulate the industry. It also proposes a 10% sales tax, with revenue allocated to social equity programs, localities, education, and administrative costs. Municipalities can opt out, but existing medical cannabis businesses would have priority in the recreational market.
4th May 2023: US - Ohio: State lawmakers failed to act on a proposal to legalise recreational cannabis before a statutory deadline, requiring advocates to resume signature-gathering. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol will now need to collect another round of signatures from registered voters before the 5th July deadline in order to secure a place on the November ballot, press reports.

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