Hardline bill to overhaul Issue 2 draws broad testimony; ACLU and prosecutors clash with industry and local officials

The House Judiciary Committee heard hours of testimony on House Bill 160, legislation that seeks to revisit much of the adult‑use cannabis framework enacted following Issue 2 (2023). Supporters of the bill told the committee the measure addresses public‑safety gaps and illicit‑market growth; opponents said it would re‑criminalize users, move tax money away from host communities and undercut the social equity and jobs program voters approved.

Louis Tobin, representing the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, urged stricter limits on home cultivation, saying the current 12‑plant framework produces far more product than a household can reasonably possess. Tobin told the committee his association favors reducing allowable home plants "from 12 to 6," citing yield estimates and the risk that excess product fuels the black market. Tobin also criticized language in HB 160 that would protect a person only if they do not cultivate "more than double" the allowed plants, calling that a confusing and overly permissive safe harbor that could undermine enforcement.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, represented by Gary Daniels, urged the committee to reject HB 160 or substantially narrow it.…