Extensive public testimony at Judiciary Committee spotlights split over substitute Senate Bill 56 implementation of Issue 2

The Ohio House Judiciary Committee heard dozens of in‑person and written witnesses during the third hearing on substitute Senate Bill 56, the bill that would implement the voter‑approved Issue 2 framework for adult‑use cannabis.

The testimony focused on five recurring issues: tax and host‑community revenue distribution; social equity and small‑business access; treatment of hemp and hemp‑derived products; patient protections and medical access; and public safety questions such as testing, impaired driving and search standards.

Why it matters: Issue 2, approved by Ohio voters in November 2023, set a statutory structure for adult use, taxes and local revenue. Witnesses told the committee the substitute bill, in its current form, risks reversing key voter promises, excluding small or community‑based operators, and creating public‑safety and legal uncertainties if hemp products are reclassified or if funding is redirected.

What witnesses said

- Anthony Riley, Ohio…