Ohio Voters Fight Back Against Lawmakers’ Cannabis Law Overhaul

Ohioans just cleared a major hurdle in their push to undo big changes lawmakers made to the voter-approved marijuana law. A citizen group now has the green light to collect signatures for a referendum that could roll back most of the controversial bill Governor Mike DeWine signed in December.

On February 3, Republican Attorney General Dave Yost certified the new petition summary submitted by Ohioans for Cannabis Choice. The four-page summary had been rejected two weeks earlier because Yost said the first version was not “fair and truthful.” The group quickly fixed the wording and resubmitted on January 20.

This certification is the first official step toward putting the question on the ballot. The coalition now has until early July to gather roughly 413,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters to force a statewide vote.

What the Referendum Would Actually Do

If passed by voters, the referendum would repeal the first three sections of Senate Bill 56. Those sections make up about 120 pages of the 130-page law and include the most debated changes to the adult-use program voters created in November 2023 with 57.2% support.

Key rollbacks the referendum targets include:

• Restoring the right to smoke or vape at concerts, festivals, and bar patios
• Removing the new ban on bringing legal cannabis from other states
• Raising THC limits back up for extracts and concentrates
• Lifting the strict new caps on how much home growers can possess
• Putting excise tax money back into social equity and community programs

The referendum would also wipe out new rules on medical marijuana and intoxicating hemp products that lawmakers tucked into the same bill.

Why Patients and Consumers Are Furious

Many Ohioans feel lawmakers ignored the will of voters who waited years for legal cannabis. Issue 2 passed in 2023 after the Republican-led legislature repeatedly blocked earlier reform efforts.

“They waited until we finally won at the ballot box, then gutted the law before a single store even opened,” said Tom Haren, spokesman for Ohioans for Cannabis Choice. The first adult-use dispensaries only started selling on August 6, 2024, eight months after voters said yes.

Lawmakers defended the changes as needed public safety fixes. Governor DeWine called home growing “a real danger” and pushed for lower THC limits. Critics say most of the new restrictions go far beyond safety concerns.

Signature Drive Starts Now

The coalition must collect signatures from at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, with a minimum in each. Organizers say paid collectors are already hitting the streets in major cities like Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati.

Early polls show strong public support for keeping the original voter-approved law intact. A January 2025 survey by Baldwin Wallace University found 62% of Ohioans oppose the legislative changes.

Next Big Deadline

If the group turns in enough signatures by July 2, the referendum would appear on the November 2025 ballot. Voters would simply answer yes or no to repealing those sections of Senate Bill 56.

Ohio has never successfully repealed a new law through referendum, but cannabis remains popular across party lines. Supporters believe this could be the first.

This fight shows Ohio voters are ready to protect ballot measures they pass. After watching lawmakers change a law more than half the state supported, people across Ohio are paying attention and many are grabbing clipboards to make their voices heard again.