Ohio’s Recreational Cannabis Laws Set for Major Overhaul in 2025
Ohio voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2023, and the state has been selling it for four months now. However, the program has faced criticism, and Senate President Matt Huffman is preparing to overhaul it in 2025. Huffman, who is set to become the Speaker of the House, believes that the current law has “fundamental flaws” and is working to address them.
One major change Huffman is pushing for is to limit the amount of cannabis that can be grown at home. Currently, homes with two or more adults can cultivate, grow, and possess up to 12 plants. Huffman wants to reduce this number, citing concerns that people are growing large quantities of cannabis to resell it.
Huffman also believes that lawmakers should pass marijuana and hemp provisions together, rather than in separate bills. This is a departure from the current approach, which has seen lawmakers debate standalone bills. The cannabis industry has been pushing for stricter regulations on unregulated hemp products, but not on its own regulated marijuana market.
Huffman has been a key player in Ohio’s cannabis legislation, having served as Senate President and previously in the House. He is term-limited in the Senate and will become the Speaker of the House in January 2025. His successor, Senator Rob McColley, also negotiated and backed the 2023 overhaul.
The proposed changes to Ohio’s recreational cannabis laws are expected to be debated in the coming year. Huffman’s efforts aim to address the flaws in the current law and bring the program in line with the state’s goals for regulating cannabis.
