Blog

Americans for Safe Access members were at the Ohio State House on March 20th to remind policymakers to prioritize Ohio medical cannabis patients as they consider cannabis legislation this session. Ohio legislators have been at odds with voters after they overwhelmingly supported cannabis legalization at the ballot box in November 2023 by passing Issue 2. 

Their disdain for the initiative is apparent in both SB 56 and this companion bill HB 160, their latest attempt to reign in the will of the voters.  

Rather than use their legislative power toward a smooth translation and strengthen patient rights and access,  the bill inserts punitive policies any place they still have the power to do so. Not only is this an affront to Ohio voters but patients will experience the brunt of their meddling: 

Join us in educating Ohio policymakers about the impact HB 160 will have on patients: 

• Medical patients need protections from employment discharge and housing protections to consume their medicines, just as any person who is taking medicine for health conditions. 
• There should be no mandatory jail time for non-driving medical patient passengers traveling in vehicles with their medicine.  
• Medical cannabis medicines such as dissolvables, pills, capsules, suppositories, buccal pouches, strips and sprays, salves and lotions and inhalers must remain available in the medical program for patients.  Moving these medicines to the adult-use program prohibits patients from receiving their discounts as medical patients for these items and taxes them at a higher tax rate. They are currently included in the current medical program and must continue to be part of the medical program.
• Pediatric cannabis medical patients under the age of 21 must be allowed to consume homegrown cannabis.  Many of these patients have rare childhood diseases and rely on very tailored homegrown cannabis cultivations that are not available in the medical, or adult use market and are tended by caregivers, guardians and parents. They need to be considered and gifting and transferring these grows to them must remain legal. 
• Expungements for all simple possession.  Patients have a right to their cannabis medicine in this state since passing HB532, yet still today, too many patients are incarcerated for simple possession.  We are fighting for expungements of records for all simple possession charges.
• Home Grow supplies such as seeds, live plants and clones must be made available to patients in the medical program. We are already seeing less and less lower THC whole plant medicines available in the medical and adult markets here in Ohio since Adult Use passed.  Patients must be able to cultivate and consume their own medicine for their conditions.  
• Medical patient home growers must be allowed to have in possession the same amount of medical cannabis as the medical cannabis ninety day fill supply allows.

HB160 is currently in the Judiciary Committee. Time is of the Essence! Reach out to each of these committee members by APRIL 1, 2025!

Sample call: 

“I am calling with concerns about the current version of HB 160 and ask that [name of elected official] not pass the bill out of committee unless amendments are made to the language to address concerns of the medical cannabis patients. 

• Cannabis Medical Patients NEED Employment & Housing Protections
• Medical Products must remain on the Medical Menu for Patients in Dispensaries
• THERE SHOULD BE NO MANDATORY JAIL TIME FOR POSSESSION FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS PATIENTS. 

In its current form, HB160 will be a huge step backward for patients. 

I appreciate your consideration!” 

Here are their contacts:

Jim Thomas (R) Chair

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-8030

Fax: (614) 719-6952

Adam Matthews (R)  Vice-Chair

77 S. High St

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 644-6027

Fax: (614) 719-3967

Dani Isaacsohn (D) Ranking Member

77 S. High St

14th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-5786

Fax: (614) 719-3585

Jaimie Callender (R)  

77 South High Street

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 644-6074

Fax: (614) 719-3963

*pro-cannabis

Ismail Mohamed (D) 

77 S. High St

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-1896

Fax: (614) 719-6964

Mike Odioso (R) 

77 South High Street

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-8258

Fax: (614) 719-3584

Scott Oelslager (R) 

77 South High Street

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 752-2438

Fax: (614) 719-6951

Phil Plummer (R )

77 South High Street

14th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 644-8051

Fax: (614) 719-3590

Brian Stewart (R)  

77 South High Street

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-1464

Fax: (614) 719-3961

DJ Swearingen (R )

77 South High Street

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 644-6011

Fax: (614) 719-6980

Eric Synenberg (D)

77 South High Street

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 644-5079

Fax: (614) 719-0009

Desiree Tims (D)

77 South High Street

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-1607

Fax: (614) 719-6967

Josh Williams (R)  

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-1418

Fax: (614) 719-6949