Overview
- Senate Bill 56 passed the Senate 22–7 and is on Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk, with an effective date as early as March if signed.
- The measure bars sales outside dispensaries of hemp products exceeding 0.4 milligrams total THC per container and moves intoxicating hemp into the regulated cannabis system.
- Five‑milligram THC beverages may continue in licensed alcohol retail through Dec. 31, 2026, aligning state policy with the new federal cap.
- The bill revises Ohio’s voter‑approved marijuana law by banning out‑of‑state imports, requiring original packaging, creating a penalty for smoking or vaping while driving, allowing landlords to prohibit use and growing, and removing several anti‑discrimination protections including unemployment eligibility after cannabis‑related firings.
- A state panel separately approved strict advertising limits that prohibit dispensary ads on billboards, TV, radio, the internet, and in stadiums, drawing First Amendment warnings from Democrats and the ad industry, while brewers and THC‑drink makers report steep sales declines and potential job losses.