COLUMBUS – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday he will sign legislation that rolls back key parts of Ohio’s voter-approved marijuana law, including a provision that would again make it a crime to possess marijuana legally purchased in another state, such as neighboring Michigan.

Voters approved recreational marijuana in 2023 with the expectation that legal possession would no longer carry criminal penalties—a core protection the new bill partially reverses.

Ohio Gov. DeWine

Under the legislation, Ohio residents could face criminal charges for possessing marijuana obtained from any source other than an Ohio-licensed dispensary or a legal homegrow. Cannabis purchased legally in Michigan would be treated as illegal contraband once brought back into Ohio.

DeWine framed the legislation as a public safety measure aimed at limiting access to high-potency products, particularly for minors.

“To me, it’s a major victory,” DeWine said, according to The Columbus Dispatch. “They won’t be able to have juiced-up hemp gummies. They won’t be able to walk into a gas station and an 11-year-old buy this stuff.”

Undercuts Voters’ Will?

The governor did not respond to questions about whether the bill undercuts the will of voters who approved recreational marijuana legalization last year.

Beyond out-of-state purchases, the bill would reverse several voter-approved provisions. It would recriminalize certain marijuana-related conduct and repeal statutory anti-discrimination protections for lawful cannabis users, including safeguards tied to child custody, organ transplants, and professional licensing.

Lawmakers finalized the measure after months of internal conflict. The House initially removed several controversial provisions from the Senate’s version, but the Senate rejected those changes. A bicameral conference committee later negotiated a compromise that ultimately passed both chambers.

The legislation also expands restrictions on where marijuana can be consumed. It bans smoking cannabis at outdoor public venues such as bar patios and allows landlords to prohibit vaping marijuana at rental properties. Violations—including vaping outdoors at a rented home—would be classified as misdemeanor offenses.

Expands Hemp Regulatory Framework 

On hemp, the bill abandons a regulatory framework previously approved by the House and replaces it with a broad ban on intoxicating hemp products sold outside licensed marijuana dispensaries.

Products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container, or those made with synthetic cannabinoids, could no longer be sold outside Ohio’s licensed cannabis system. Supporters say the change aligns state law with a newly enacted federal hemp provision included in an appropriations package signed last month by President Donald Trump.

While the federal law allows a one-year implementation window, Ohio’s restrictions would take effect sooner. Cannabinoid beverages would receive a temporary reprieve under a transitional regulatory program that would remain in place through December 31, 2026.

Sen. Stephen Huffman (R), the bill’s primary sponsor, defended the overhaul by arguing voters knew the legislature retained authority to revise the law.

“Voters approved something that amended the revised code, not the Constitution,” Huffman said last month. “They knew the General Assembly could come at any time and pass a bill to get rid of the entire thing.”

Michigan Border Impact

For communities along Ohio’s northern border, the change could have immediate legal and economic consequences.

Michigan dispensaries have long drawn customers from Ohio, particularly in border regions near Toledo, Youngstown, and the Lake Erie shoreline. Under the new law, Ohio residents who legally purchase marijuana in Michigan could face criminal charges the moment they cross back into Ohio.

That shift creates a legal gray zone for border residents accustomed to traveling short distances for cannabis purchases and could increase enforcement pressures in border counties. It may also redirect consumer traffic away from Michigan retailers as Ohio expands its own licensed dispensary network—while increasing legal risk for individuals unaware the law has changed.

What Changes Under the Bill

  • Michigan purchases recriminalized: Marijuana legally bought in Michigan would be illegal to possess in Ohio unless obtained from an Ohio-licensed dispensary or legal homegrow.

  • Voter protections repealed: The bill removes anti-discrimination protections for lawful cannabis users, including safeguards tied to child custody, organ transplants, and professional licensing.

  • New consumption bans: Smoking marijuana would be prohibited at outdoor public venues such as bar patios; landlords could ban vaping cannabis at rental properties.

  • New misdemeanor offenses: Violating vaping restrictions at rental homes—including outdoor areas—could result in criminal charges.

  • Hemp sales restricted: Intoxicating hemp products exceeding 0.4 mg of total THC per container, or containing synthetic cannabinoids, could only be sold at licensed marijuana dispensaries.

  • Temporary carve-out for beverages: Cannabinoid beverages could continue under a transitional regulatory program through December 31, 2026.