Thirty-five people submitted opponent testimony against Ohio House Bill 160, which would reduce THC levels and redirect most of the tax revenue. State Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, introduced the bill two months ago and opponents testified against the bill for more than three hours during Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee meeting.
“H.B. 160 imposes a litany of negative changes on cannabis users, consumers, growers, and professionals to dismantle key parts of current Ohio law enacted by your constituents,” said Gary Daniels, ACLU of Ohio’s legislative director. “At worst, these changes can be interpreted as purposeful, designed to kneecap Issue 2. At the least, these changes fundamentally handicap the purchase, use, transportation, and sale of cannabis in the state.”
Ohioans passed a citizen-initiated law to legalize recreational marijuana in 2023 with 57% of the vote, and sales started in August 2024. Ohio lawmakers can change the law since it passed as a citizen initiative. The state’s total recreational marijuana sales were $479,219,877 as of April 26, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control.
H.B. 160 would reduce the THC levels in marijuana extracts from a maximum of 90% down to a maximum of 70%, cap the number of marijuana dispensaries at 350, and reallocate the bulk of marijuana tax revenue to the state’s General Revenue Fund. It would ban using marijuana in public spaces and offer expungement for prior convictions for marijuana related offenses.
“I think this bill represents the most thoughtful of the approaches we’ve seen from legislators,” said state Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord. “If we could find some common ground, I think the sponsor has mentioned that he wants to have a fairly stripped down bill.”
H.B. 160 would repeal the Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs Program, which was enacted through the passage of Issue 2. The bill also has an intoxicating hemp provision that would require every THC product to only be sold at Ohio’s regulated marijuana dispensaries.
During the committee meeting, Callender held up an intoxicating hemp product he recently purchased with the Hawaiian Punch logo on it.
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