An effort to block changes to Ohio's marijuana and hemp law is laying bare divisions within the cannabis world. Advocates seeking to repeal part of Senate Bill 56 have launched a campaign to gather nearly 250,000 signatures by mid-March for their proposed referendum. If successful, the law won't take effect unless voters give it their seal of approval in November.
But the group, Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, has a vocal opponent: the marijuana industry itself.
"They have a limited license program," said Wesley Bryant, owner of 420 Craft Beverages in Cleveland. "It is in their best interest to abolish competition. And with SB 56, that's what you have, an abolition of competition."
Senate Bill 56, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in December, bans THC drinks and most hemp-derived cannabis products. The bill's backers contend a loophole in federal law allowed intoxicating hemp products, such as delta-8 THC, to proliferate without oversight and be sold to children. The measure also makes several changes to the adult-use cannabis law approved by voters in 2023.
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