New marijuana law brings changes

SANDUSKY — Ohio's newly revised marijuana law brings quite a few changes, both for people who shop at licensed dispensaries and people who used to be able to legally buy intoxicating hemp products such as Delta 8 THC. Ohio voters legalized marijuana purchases for adults 21 and older in a state ballot issue, but lawmakers modified some of the provisions with a new law that took effect a few days ago. Erie County has three licensed dispensaries, and Norwalk and Fremont have one apiece. If you are a local cannabis shopper, here's what you need to know. No more intoxicating hemp Ohio's new law bans the sale of Delta 8 THC, an intoxicating hemp product with effects similar to marijuana. Intoxicating hemp fans will either have to do without or shop in state-licensed dispensaries for cannabis products. A petition drive that sought to overturn the new state law and keep intoxicating hemp sales legal was supposed to put an issue on the ballot for state voters to decide. But the effort failed after organizers were unable to obtain enough signatures. The new law did allow intoxicating hemp beverages to be sold until the end of the year, but Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed that provision, so now you can't buy them. A nationwide federal ban on intoxicating hemp takes effect this fall, unless Congress changes its mind. Buying in Michigan seems less attractive Ohio's legal marijuana industry has been plagued by competition from Michigan where: • Marijuana sales were legalized earlier than in Ohio • Cannabis products have tended to be cheaper than here But recent developments in both Ohio and Michigan have made Ohio products more competitive. Attempts by some Republican lawmakers, particularly in the Ohio Senate, to raise the state's 10% retail tax on marijuana were defeated, largely because of opposition in the Ohio House. In addition, the new state law makes it explicit that it's illegal to buy marijuana from out of state and bring it into Ohio. Meanwhile, Michigan — which has a Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer — has imposed a new 24 percent wholesale tax on marijuana products, raising prices in state dispensaries. Ohio marijuana prices have gone down since retail sales began in August 2024 as growing facilities have ramped up. Ohio industry officials argue that consumers who shop for sales can skip driving to Michigan, which isn't legal, anyway. Ohio dispensaries routinely promote sales on their websites. New rules for storage and consumption • Edible marijuana bought in an Ohio dispensary must be stored at home in its original packaging. This is a safety measure, as gummies, for example, are packaged to make it difficult for small children to open. • When you buy a weed product from a dispensary, get in the habit of putting it in your trunk. Whether you've grown your own marijuana at home or bought it from a dispensary, you are supposed to transport it in your trunk, unless it is in unopened original packaging. If you don't have a trunk, put it as far as possible in the back of the vehicle, out of reach of the driver. Keep weed paraphernalia in the trunk, too. This is the equivalent of existing liquor laws. Buying and drinking beer is legal in Ohio for adults, keeping an open can of Budweiser within reach of the driver is not. • Marijuana use is banned in most public places. You can use it on residential property, not just inside your home, and on agricultural land. • Marijuana use already was illegal in a car, boat, aircraft or on a bicycle, but the new law makes it a more serious misdemeanor if you are caught. • Landlords can ban smoking or vaping marijuana in rental agreements. This fits with older law allowing landlords to impose smoke-free policies for tobacco. • Adults can transfer up to 2.5 ounces of weed plant material, or 15 grams of extract, to another adult. This must be done inside a home and you can't accept payment. Growing marijuana at home • Rules for the number of marijuana plants you can grow at home remain the same: Six plants per adult with a limit of 12 plants in each residence. But if you exceed those limits, it's now a more serious crime. As before, you must grow it in a greenhouse or inside your house or find another way to keep people on the sidewalk from being able to see marijuana plants. • You can't grow at home if your house is used as a childcare business, if it's a halfway house, or if your landlord forbids it in the rental agreement. Other new rules • The number of state-licensed dispensaries in Ohio where marijuana can legally be sold is capped at 400. Ohio currently has 205 licensed dispensaries, so there's still room for more retail outlets. • Dispensaries can now offer samples of adult-use products. • Prerolled marijuana cigarettes, recently permitted under a new regulation, can now be sold under state law. • The law that voters passed divided up marijuana tax money into several funds, including for drug treatment and a "social equity and jobs" fund. State lawmakers rewrote that in the state budget, putting 64 percent into the general revenue fund but giving 34 percent to local communities that allow dispensaries, such as Perkins Township and the cities of Huron, Norwalk and Fremont. • Edibles can't look like cartoon characters, animals, or anything else that might appeal to kids. • Employers can ban marijuana use, and if that's why you lost your job, you can't collect unemployment. If that's still not enough detail, or if you still have questions, search for Ohio Senate Bill 56 and read the 52-page final analysis from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.