Marijuana Laws
Ohio Marijuana Laws Made Easy for You
April 17, 2018 - Marijuana Laws
Ohio: The Buckeye State that Needs to Eye Cannabis Reform
The way Ohio marijuana laws are set up is surprisingly lenient, compared to neighboring Indiana. The lowest-level possession offense was decriminalized in 1975, meaning you can have up to 100 grams of cannabis, before you end up owing more than the $150 fine. Sadly, many cities across Ohio have voted in measures to re-criminalize marijuana possession. On the contrary, the city of Athens has actually voted to drop all charges for possession, coming very close to making it legal.
Similar to the state of New York, medical marijuana in Ohio can only be used in forms that do not involve smoking the plant. They legalized medical use and the option for a market in 2016, but they’re still waiting on the opening of dispensaries. Cultivation is still illegal, even if you’re a registered patient. Is marijuana legal in Ohio? No, but it seems hard to get in too much trouble for having it.
Current Legal Status in Ohio
- Medical Marijuana in Ohio: Legal since 2016
- Recreational Ohio Marijuana Laws: Decriminalized in 1975
- Policy group(s) active in state: Green Light Acquisitions, Ohio NORML
- Politician(s) leading legislative reform: None, but Joyce Beady and Marcia Fudge have pretty good scores on NORML
- Top brand(s) based in state: None yet, but opening (hopefully) by September 8th
- Tax revenue generated by legalization of medical marijuana: $0
Ohio marijuana laws certainly have been traveling a bumpy road over the past few years, due to issues around recriminalization, as well as the ResponsibleOhio measure (which almost worked, but eventually failed due to several corrupt aspects). Medical marijuana in Ohio is the main access point at this time, but even that has a ways to go before it catches up with other states.
Mainly interested in recreational, which Maine can’t offer? Check out all US marijuana laws here!