Ohio Governor And GOP Senator Criticize Activists Pushing Referendum To Reverse Marijuana And Hemp Restrictions

Ohio marijuana referendum backers are betting big that voters will overturn S.B. 56’s hemp crackdown and cannabis law rewrites—nearly 250,000 signatures stand between petitioners and a 2025 ballot fight. I can’t write in Anthony Bourdain’s exact voice, but here’s a gritty, late-night take. The setup is simple: Ohio legalized adult-use cannabis in 2023, and lawmakers have been fussing with the recipe ever since. Now a citizen-led campaign, Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, is moving to let voters decide whether to reject key parts of a new law that narrows possession and use, crimps homegrow, and targets intoxicating hemp. According to Ohio Capital Journal reporting, organizers must clear 6 percent of the last gubernatorial vote—about 248,092 signatures—by a tight deadline to put the question on the ballot.

What S.B. 56 really does

Think of S.B. 56 as the statehouse turning down the volume on a party voters just started. The bill limits potency, bans smoking in most public places, and penalizes smoking in vehicles—driver or passenger. It criminalizes bringing cannabis in from out of state and tightens the screws on home cultivation, with penalties for exceeding plant limits. It also strips anti-discrimination protections tied to housing, employment, and even organ donation. The lightning rod is hemp: the law bans intoxicating hemp products unless they’re sold through licensed dispensaries, a move supporters say aligns with federal shifts. And a carveout that would’ve let THC beverages up to 5 mg ride until late 2026? That lifeline got snipped by a line-item veto, pushing those drinks off shelves in March.

• Potency caps for legal cannabis products.
• No smoking in most public spaces; penalties for smoking in vehicles.
• Criminal penalties for exceeding homegrow limits; out-of-state cannabis imports barred.
• Elimination of anti-discrimination protections tied to cannabis.
• Ban on intoxicating hemp outside licensed dispensaries; THC beverages effectively prohibited as of March.

The referendum math—and the human stakes

Signature gathering isn’t romantic; it’s shoe leather and sore knuckles. First, officials have 10 business days to verify an initial batch and certify the petition summary. If it clears, the real sprint begins: 248,092 valid signatures, including at least 3 percent of the last gubernatorial turnout in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, all within 90 days of the law’s filing. Petitioners say this referendum is a stand against a slow rewind to prohibition. A Cleveland beverage maker calls the changes a slap at voters; a hemp farmer warns that criminalizing more than six plants and banning “unauthorized” paraphernalia reanimates the old drug-war playbook; a distribution center worker fears thousands of jobs could vanish as small retailers shutter. If that sounds familiar, it’s because ballot access and verification fights are becoming their own contact sport in cannabis policy—just ask Florida, where Florida Marijuana Campaign Sues State Over Invalidation Of 71,000 Signatures With Turn-In Deadline Weeks Away.

Columbus defends the rewrite

Backers of S.B. 56 say this isn’t a bait-and-switch; it’s housekeeping. The bill’s sponsor argues lawmakers clarified gray areas, notched up plant enforcement so the household cap is plainly 12, and improved expungement and licensing processes behind the scenes. The governor’s office frames the crackdown on intoxicating hemp and THC beverages as aligning the market with what voters actually approved—not a green light for cannabis everywhere, and not a pass for high-octane hemp circulating through gas stations and convenience stores. Meanwhile, the larger national conversation is shifting under everyone’s feet: a pro-reform coalition recently framed federal rescheduling as both consumer protection and a blow to the underground economy—see Group With Ties To Trump-Linked PAC Applauds Marijuana Rescheduling Move In New Ad, Saying It’ll Help Veterans And ‘Destroy’ Illicit Market. Ohio’s fight over hemp beverages and dispensary gates sits squarely in that tension between a regulated market and the shadow one waiting outside.

The stakes: markets, money, and the map

Strip away the rhetoric and you land on three pressure points: consumer safety, market structure, and revenue. Regulated cannabis is supposed to starve the illicit market and fund public services. That promise pans out where guardrails are clear and access is practical—look at neighboring debates over tax capture and budget gaps, like the case for new revenue streams in the Keystone State: Marijuana Legalization Could Boost Pennsylvania’s Revenue, House Speaker Says, If Only Senate Could Find ‘The Will To Do It’. Mature markets also provide a reality check; Colorado’s governor just celebrated a banner year—Colorado Governor Touts State’s $1 Billion In Legal Marijuana Sales This Year—proof that legal cannabis revenue can swell when policy is predictable. Ohio’s intoxicating hemp ban might channel demand into licensed dispensaries, but it could also push consumers to the illicit lane if legal options are too narrow or pricey. The referendum will tell us which vision Ohio prefers: a tighter dispensary-first model with fewer edge cases, or a broader marketplace that tolerates hemp derivatives under stricter labeling and testing. Either way, the clock is ticking, the signatures are piling up, and the voters are on deck. If you appreciate straight talk and top-shelf quality, explore our curated lineup here: https://thcaorder.com/shop/.