Ohio Activists Launch Referendum to Block Changes to Voter-Approved Cannabis Law

Ohio cannabis activists are planning a voter referendum to block the enactment of a new law rolling back portions of Ohio’s voter-approved marijuana legalization framework. The group Ohioans for Cannabis Choice announced it would pursue a referendum on Senate Bill 56 (SB 56), which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law on December 19.

The new law would create or expand criminal penalties for activities such as carrying cannabis in the passenger area of a vehicle or consuming any type of cannabis in public. The measure also regulates intoxicating consumable hemp products, banning such goods outside of regulated cannabis dispensaries.

SB 56 rolls back provisions of Ohio’s cannabis legalization initiative, which received 57% of the vote in a 2023 statewide election. Dennis Willard, spokesperson for Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, said the group is launching a referendum effort to prevent the legislation from taking effect.

“SB 56 forcefully defies the will of the voters of Ohio, who spoke clearly on this issue, and denies the people of Ohio the freedom to use these products for their personal use,” Willard said, according to a report from WCMH television news. “We are launching a referendum campaign to go directly to the voters.”

A ‘Slap in the Face’ to Voters

Karen O’Keefe, state political director for the cannabis reform advocacy group the Marijuana Policy Project, says that the new law violates the will of the voters.

“The Ohio Legislature’s passage of SB 56 was a slap in the face to Ohio voters, who overwhelmingly voted to legalize cannabis for adults. If the outrageous law is not repealed by voters in a referendum, it will re-criminalize innocuous conduct, likely resulting in thousands of arrests each year,” O’Keefe writes in a statement to IgniteIt.

“Possessing cannabis purchased in Michigan, storing edibles in your own container, and carrying a bowl you’ve ever used in the backseat of a Lyft would all become crimes,” she adds. “Lawmakers also gutted funding for expungement and community reinvestment, while removing small grower opportunities, and capping dispensary licenses at 400.”

Ohioans for Cannabis Choice must begin its referendum campaign by submitting an initial petition with 1,000 valid signatures, which the Secretary of State must approve. After receiving approval, the group will need to gather 248,092 valid signatures from Ohio voters, representing 6% of those who participated in the most recent gubernatorial election. The activists must also collect signatures equal to 3% of the last gubernatorial vote in at least 44 of the state’s 88 counties.

“We believe voters will say no to government overreach, no to closing 6,000 small businesses and pink-slipping thousands of workers across the state, and no to once again recriminalizing hemp and marijuana,” Willard said.