COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has rejected the summary language for a proposed referendum that would let voters repeal recently enacted changes to the state’s marijuana and hemp laws, saying the wording was misleading and failed to give a fair picture of the measure supporters want to overturn.
The petition, filed Dec. 29 by a group calling itself Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, sought to undo parts of Senate Bill 56, a sweeping overhaul of the state’s marijuana legalization statute and a new regulatory regime for intoxicating hemp products. But Yost — under Ohio law — refused on Jan. 13 to certify the summary needed to begin collecting the thousands of additional signatures required to qualify the question for the ballot.
In a letter posted by the attorney general’s office, Yost wrote that the proposal’s title and summary contained omissions and misstatements that would likely mislead potential signers about SB 56’s scope and effects. Among the problems he cited were claims about marijuana delivery provisions, licensing disqualifications for people with prior convictions, and how the law treats local government powers — problems the state said made the summary not “fair and truthful,” as required under Ohio law.
SB 56, approved in late 2025, rewrites parts of the 2023 legalization law that Ohio voters passed with about 57 % support and takes aim at unregulated hemp products and public safety rules. It restricts sales of intoxicating hemp products to licensed dispensaries, tightens public consumption rules for marijuana and hemp, prohibits possession of cannabis obtained out-of-state, and sets new regulatory and testing standards for hemp and marijuana products. The law is scheduled to take effect March 20, 2026.
Supporters of the referendum said the rejection is a temporary setback. The campaign spokesman said the group plans to correct the summary language, gather the necessary additional signatures, and resubmit its petition. If certified, proponents would then need to collect roughly 248,000 valid signatures — about 6 % of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election — to place the repeal question on the Nov. 2026 ballot.
Opponents of SB 56, including some cannabis advocacy groups and critics in the Legislature, argue that the changes effectively roll back key elements of the voter-approved Issue 2 legalization measure and harm businesses and consumers. Supporters of the law, including many Republicans in the General Assembly, have said the bill protects children and public safety by closing loopholes and regulating intoxicating hemp more strictly.