The group, called Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, submitted its referendum petition Monday to Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office. The filing includes more than 1,000 voter signatures, the number required to begin the referendum process. The group is seeking to repeal about 120 of the 130 pages that make up Senate Bill 56, signed earlier this month by Gov. Mike DeWine.
“We’re saying no to SB 56 because it goes too far and has so many unintended consequences,” said Joey Ellwood, a Tuscarawas County hemp farmer and member of the petition committee. “Ohioans oppose re-criminalizing cannabis, like making it a crime to grow more than six plants or to bring marijuana into the state from Michigan.”
Ellwood’s co-petitioners include Wesley Bryant of Berea, owner of 420 Craft Beverages, which sells hemp-based beverages, and Andrew Greene Jr. of Miamisburg. The group says it represents small businesses affected by the new restrictions.
Next Steps
LaRose, a Republican, has 10 days to verify the petition’s voter signatures and confirm that its text matches SB 56. Attorney General Dave Yost, also a Republican, must determine by Jan. 13 whether the petition’s summary fairly describes the law.
If both approve, organizers will have until March to collect 248,092 valid signatures, including a minimum number from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Collecting enough signatures would delay the law until voters decide on its repeal in November.
Mounting a referendum campaign is typically costly, often requiring paid signature gatherers. A similar effort earlier this year to overturn a higher education law, Senate Bill 1, failed to qualify for the ballot.
About Senate Bill 56
The legislation, passed largely along party lines, requires hemp-derived THC products to be sold through licensed dispensaries, placing them under state regulation for the first time. It also creates new criminal penalties for marijuana possession and bans transporting cannabis across state lines.
The bill includes provisions allowing the expungement of low-level marijuana convictions and releases $96.5 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales to cities.
DeWine vetoed a proposed exemption that would have allowed bars and restaurants to continue selling THC beverages until late 2026, when a federal ban is expected to take effect.
Unless the referendum succeeds, Senate Bill 56 is scheduled to take effect in March.