Ohio voted to grow weed in peace. Now, lawmakers are trying to burn it down.
I started growing back in college. My first two plants were bunk, stretched thin under what felt like a hundred CFL bulbs in an unfinished attic. Still, I loved it. I spent hours reading, learning, and tweaking my setup. My friends didn’t share the obsession, but they definitely enjoyed the flower once I swapped groceries and beer money for a high-pressure sodium light.
One night, our party got busted. I’ll never forget arguing with cops as they insisted we were hiding underage drinkers in the attic. I was inches from getting arrested and blowing the education I’d worked for. That was the end of my college growing days. But the itch never left.
The Evolution of Ohio’s Cannabis Market
I followed every step of Ohio’s slow crawl toward cannabis reform. For years, progress stalled. But in 2023 – a decade after I sold my grow gear and stopped stashing bag seeds – we finally crossed the finish line.
Advocates got Issue 2 on the ballot and won. It legalized recreational sales and granted adults the right to grow up to 12 plants per household. Sales taxes would support education and equity programs. It was a hard-fought and well-crafted win.
Now, Ohio’s Cannabis Market is Under Attack
Ohioans spoke clearly: we wanted the freedom to use and grow cannabis. I thought the fight was over. But now, a radical state supermajority is gutting what we passed. And they’re doing it under the guise of “public safety,” backed by fearmongering and pharma lobbying.
I called the reps pushing back against Issue 2. The opposition’s main sponsor claimed he was protecting Ohioans from fentanyl-laced cannabis. There’s no credible evidence that fentanyl-laced weed is a real threat. And honestly, what dealer would poison their customers? Why would growers or sellers kill off their clientele, their friends, their community?
Yet, despite public backlash, the effort passed along party lines. And it’s a steaming pile of shit.
Here’s what Senate Bill 56 in Ohio does:
- Slashes home cultivation to six plants per household
- Caps THC at 35% for flower and 70% for concentrates
- Restricts use to private residences
- Bans all homemade extracts, oils, and edibles
- Redirects tax revenue from equity and education to Republican-controlled ventures (like law enforcement)
There’s more, but you get the point. It’s a blatant power grab that ignores voters and science. Let’s zoom in on the home grow limits, though.
Patients who grow and use cannabis medicinally are being punished. Limiting total plant count to six – regardless of whether they’re flowering, vegging, or seedlings – makes it significantly harder to maintain a consistent supply, especially for those who need daily dosing. Worse, banning homemade extracts and edibles strips patients of their preferred, often healthier, ways to medicate. These aren’t just misguided restrictions; they’re an attack on patients’ access to care.
Senate Bill 56 Pushes Back Against the Will of Ohio People
The kicker? This has nothing to do with public safety. Study after study shows that legal cannabis access is tied to reductions in opioid use, fewer high-risk prescriptions, and even declines in alcohol dependency. In a state that’s been devastated by the opioid crisis, you’d think our leaders would support safer, plant-based alternatives. Instead, they’re clinging to outdated, punitive views.
Ohioans made our voices heard, but fearmongering and fentanyl myths are now being weaponized to roll back those hard-won rights.
If we don’t push back now, we’re not just losing plants, we’re losing the promise of what legalization was meant to be. But what can we do when we are without a voice?
