Ohio wants to block cannabis purchased in Michigan

For years, people from northwest Ohio have been traveling to Michigan, one of the most mature cannabis markets in the Midwest, to buy recreational products. But according to the bill currently before Parliament, this long-standing practice could soon carry an additional legal risk.

The current’Ohio has largely legalized possession and consumption. But the new legislation introduces a strict requirement: only cannabis grown, processed or purchased in Ohio would be allowed to be consumed within the state's borders. According to an analysis by the Legislative Services Commission, this measure would classify all cannabis from other states as «contraband».

The analysis notes, «For example, an adult consumer can legally possess and consume marijuana purchased from an out-of-state dispensary under current law, whereas under the bill, marijuana from another state is considered contraband.»

If passed, the law will authorize the possession of only three categories of products:

• Medical cannabis grown and distributed according to Ohio regulatory standards
• Cannabis for adult use produced in a similar way under Ohio's regulated system
• Home-grown cannabis, provided that it is grown and processed solely at the consumer's principal place of residence, in accordance with the rules of the State where the product is sold.

This would position Ohio as one of the few states to attempt to explicitly ban legal cannabis imported from neighboring adult-use markets.

Power limits, packaging rules and new criminal penalties

In addition to supply chain controls, the legislation introduces further reforms.

One of the most notable changes is a reduction in the allowable potency for concentrates. Current Ohio law caps THC levels in extracts at 90%. The bill would lower this threshold to 70% of THC, This brings Ohio into line with states that have imposed similar power limits for adult-use products.

The legislation also proposes :

• A smoking ban cannabis in public
• Stricter requirements for’packaging and labeling
• Penalties for those who cultivate more than 12 plants at home

Another key provision would allow Ohio residents with minor cannabis-related offenses in the past to apply to have their criminal records expunged if their actions were considered legal under current laws. This is in line with reforms implemented in several other states that have legalized recreational cannabis in recent years.

Alcoholic beverages made with hemp and THC: a temporary solution

The bill also addresses a chaotic and fast-changing segment of the national market: the hemp-based alcoholic products and THC-based beverages. After two years of political to-ing and fro-ing and legal texts, including a Governor's decree Mike DeWine and the legal challenges that followed, legislators have now agreed on a temporary compromise.

Hemp-based psychoactive products will be treated in the same way as cannabis and their sale will be restricted to licensed dispensaries in Ohio. The legislators had originally envisaged a more comprehensive regulatory structure, but the recent vote in Congress to ban the federal THC products from hemp from 2026 onwards led to a rapid rewrite of the bill.

However, the THC-based beverages will remain legal in Ohio, but only until the end of 2026. Their future beyond that date will depend on whether Congress reconsiders its federal position or legalizes certain hemp-derived beverages before the national ban goes into effect.

Final vote awaits Ohio Senate

The bill was passed by the House after a long night session and now goes to the Senate, which will reconvene on December 10.

If approved, Ohio would adopt one of the strictest systems in the country for controlling the origin of cannabis supply and managing the proliferation of intoxicants derived from hemp.