Rep. Robb Blasdel Votes in Support of Updating Ohio's Marijuana Laws

COLUMBUS, OHIO – State Representative Monica Robb Blasdel (R-New Waterford) today voted in support of Senate Bill 56, legislation that updates Ohio’s marijuana laws to ensure protections for children, promote public safety, and address the growing issue of intoxicating hemp products.

The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, preserves the legal adult-use marijuana provisions approved by voters in Issue 2 (2023) while strengthening oversight and clarifying state law.

“This legislation respects the will of Ohio voters while taking responsible steps to protect children and communities,” said Rep. Robb Blasdel. “By setting clear rules and closing loopholes, we’re helping to create a safer, more consistent framework for how marijuana and hemp products are sold and used in our state.”

Clarifying Ohio’s Marijuana Law

• Keeps adult-use marijuana legal (as approved by Issue 2) and maintains a 10% tax rate.
• Allows expungement for past minor marijuana possession convictions that are now considered legal.
• Clarifies home use and growing rules – allows adult use on residential property; continues home-grow rights but prohibits them in halfway houses, recovery centers, and childcare facilities.
• Eliminates the cannabis social equity and jobs fund/program.
• Grants the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) full authority to regulate marijuana from cultivation to sale.
• Allocates 36% of marijuana tax revenue to host communities with dispensaries. 

Promoting Public Safety

• Bans public smoking and intoxication.
• Restricts advertising and packaging that appeal to children; requires ads to be at least 500 feet from schools and churches.
• Limits the sale of intoxicating hemp products to licensed dispensaries.
• Clarifies OVI laws, including banning passengers from smoking in vehicles.
• Caps THC potency at 70% for extracts and maintains 35% for plant material.
• Protects employer rights to prohibit employee marijuana use.

Addressing Intoxicating Hemp

• Establishes a regulated framework for Ohio-grown hemp sales through licensed dispensaries.
• Bans sales to minors and in businesses that allow customers under 21, closing existing loopholes at gas stations and smoke shops.
• Requires safety testing, potency limits, packaging rules, and oversight by the DCC.
• Prohibits marketing or labeling designed to appeal to children.
• Applies a 10% excise tax on hemp products, aligning with the marijuana tax structure.
• Grandfathers existing hemp dispensaries (as of August 30, 2025) that meet state licensing requirements.

Hemp-Infused Beverages

• Legalizes the manufacture, distribution, and sale of drinkable cannabinoid products (DCPs).
• Low-dose (up to 5mg THC): permitted in bars and restaurants for on-site consumption.
• Higher-dose (up to 10mg THC): allowed for off-site sales in groceries and gas stations.
• Products exceeding state limits may be manufactured in Ohio but only sold out of state.
• Regulated by the Division of Liquor Control and taxed at $1.20 per gallon, similar to high-alcohol beverages.
• Requires clear product labeling, including THC amounts, ingredients, and consumer warnings.

Senate Bill 56 now returns to the Ohio Senate for concurrence.