The House adopted a plan to try to find the middle: Amend Senate Bill 56 to include large portions of House Bill 160 and Senate Bill 86.
Here’s the broad overview of the hodgepodge piece of legislation, as things stand:
- There would be no ban on the sharing of recreational marijuana between of-age adults.
- The state’s current flat 10% tax would be maintained on recreational sales and expanded onto intoxicating hemp products. Previous plans have sought to raise the tax to 15% or 20%.
- Intoxicating hemp products would be banned from retail sales and only be purchasable at dispensaries. That’s except for low-dose THC-infused beverages, which could still be sold retail.
- The state’s current host community financial kickback would be phased out seven years after the bill’s effective date. Previous plans have considered cutting out that funding immediately.
- The limit of Ohio dispensaries would rise from 350 to 400.
- The minimum distance between dispensaries would be one mile. Previous plans have looked at a half-mile limit.
- Public use would be allowed in permitting concert venues. Bars and restaurants still would not have the authority to permit marijuana consumption on their patios or outdoor areas.
- THC concentration in certain products would be capped at 70%, with Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control having the regulatory power to bump it higher.
The bill is likely to see further amendments in the House Judiciary Committee over the coming weeks.
Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, who has headed the House’s legislative efforts on intoxicating hemp and recreational marijuana, said that he hopes the compromise will be enough to get the Senate on board.
The Senate’s go-to expert on the subject, Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, did not respond before publication when this news outlet asked if he approved of the House’s changes.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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