Ohio Marijuana Laws 2024

Updated: 01/16/2024

Ohio allows marijuana use for both medical and recreational purposes. But things were not like this before. This all became possible in December 2023, when Ohio legalized marijuana for recreational purposes.

Is Marijuana Legal in Ohio?

Yes. For those who have registered with the state’s Medical Marijuana Control Program, Ohio allows the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Medical marijuana is available to qualifying patients in cream, edible, flower, lotion, oil, patch, and tincture forms. It is lawful for you to consume medical marijuana by:

• Visiting a licensed medical professional who has a valid certificate to prescribe medical marijuana. Your profile is created in the Ohio medical marijuana patient and caregiver registry once the doctor certifies that you have one of the qualifying medical conditions.
• Finish up your patient and caregiver registry registration for the medical marijuana program.
• Going to a dispensary that has a State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy certificate of operation.

Ohio voters approved recreational marijuana use on December 7, 2023, when the Issue 2 ballot proposition passed by a vote of 57 to 43 margin. The Regular Marijuana Like Alcohol Initiative, or Ohio Issue 2, aimed to:

• Permit up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 0.5 ounces (15 grams) of concentrates for adults (age 21 and up).
• Permit up to six marijuana plants for personal use per adult (age 21 and above), with a maximum of twelve plants per adult living in a residence.
• Allow the legal selling of cannabis for recreational use at dispensaries with a 10% sales tax.

Ohio Marijuana Laws in 2024

With the passage of a medical marijuana law, Ohio became the 25th state in the union. In June 2016, the state established the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. This program allows patients with specific medical illnesses to consume medical marijuana along with the doctor’s recommendation.

Once the patient’s registration has been submitted and recommended, they need to apply for a medical marijuana card and pay the required fee. People under the age of 18 are not permitted to obtain medicinal marijuana unless their designated caregivers have obtained it on their behalf.

Ohio has some limitations on the amount of marijuana that can be used, but many other states in the US do not limit patients’ ability to purchase marijuana for a particular amount of time. Following Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3796:8-2-04, a patient and the patient’s caregiver may jointly get at least one entire day unit at a time. For any type of medical marijuana that is approved, one entire day unit is equivalent to the following amounts:

• Two and eighty-three hundredths of an ounce, or 1/10 of an ounce, of plant material
• THC content of 295 mg in a patch, lotion, cream, or ointment
• 110 mg of THC administered orally in the form of an oil, tincture, capsule, or edible
• Oil for vaporization containing 590 mg of THC

Ohio adopted procedures outlined in Rules 3796:7-2 and 3796:8-2 of the Ohio Administrative Code to make it easier for patients, caregivers, and dispensaries to compute days’ supply while making sure patients don’t go over prescribed limits. Dispensaries are required by law to compute patients’ days’ supply in the following manner:

• Based on the patient’s current, active recommendation, a patient’s 90-day period has been divided into two 45-day fill periods. Days 1 through 45 of the guideline make up the first period, while days 46 through 90 make up the second. The patient’s initial fill period does not begin until they obtain a recommendation.
• Regardless of when purchases are made during the 45-day fill period, patients are allowed to purchase up to a 45-day supply of medical marijuana throughout any 45-day marijuana fill period. For example, a patient may acquire up to a 45-day supply of medical marijuana if they visit a dispensary on day 25 and have not purchased any products throughout the fill period.
• The patient will not be able to purchase more medical marijuana until the following 45-day fill period if the current 45-day period has ended. It should be noted that patients are not required to purchase all 45 days of supplies during a fill period.
• The Board of Pharmacy has established an online form that automatically calculates the new 45-day fill period.

Can I Use Cannabis in Ohio?

Yes, if you are an adult who is 21 years of age or older, or if you meet certain medical requirements and have a doctor’s recommendation, you can use cannabis lawfully in Ohio.

If you are under eighteen, you can still be eligible to use medical cannabis but a parent or legal guardian must be designated as your caregiver. Medical cannabis products may be purchased by caregivers for the patients who are registered under them. You must also be a resident of Ohio to legally consume medical cannabis in the state. By the end of 2023, adult-use marijuana became legal in Ohio.

Ohio Penalties for Cannabis-Related Crimes

Marijuana possession is a minor offense in Ohio. However, the weight of the narcotic enhances the seriousness of the charges brought against the criminal. The following sanctions apply to different marijuana-related offenses in Ohio:

Ohio’s laws on marijuana possession cover the following:

• Between 100 and 200 grams: If you possess this amount, you might be fined up to $250 along with 30 days in jail.
• 200–1,000 grams: You have to pay a $2,500 fine and spend a year in prison.
• Between 1,000 and 20,000 grams: This is regarded as a felony that carries a maximum fine of $10,000 along with a sentence of one to five years in prison.
• Between 20,000 and 40,000 grams: This is regarded as a felony and is subject to a $15,000 fine in addition to a required minimum penalty of five years in jail, with the possibility of eight years.
• If the weight exceeds 40,000 grams: It is deemed a criminal offense, with a mandatory minimum punishment of 8 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Where Can You Consume Medical Cannabis in Ohio?

Cannabis products can be consumed at home by patients who have an Ohio medical marijuana card. or, with the owner’s permission, in another private property. Patients in Ohio are not allowed to use cannabis in public areas or near public parks, daycare centers, or schools.

Patients may still face charges of a crime if they are on federal land even though medical marijuana is permitted in Ohio. A felony possession charge may be brought against someone who consumes or has cannabis at a State Park, government building, military installation, or post office.

Conclusion

Although Ohio has legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, there are still some things that take time. But we can say for sure that sooner or later, the medical marijuana industry is going to grow in Ohio.