Ohio Senate Bill 56 was signed on December 19, 2025, and generally took effect March 20, 2026; operating appropriations took effect at signing. It is an enacted law, not a proposal awaiting a vote. The overhaul combined adult-use and medical marijuana regulation in Chapter 3796 and changed the system created after Issue 2. [1][2]
The statute caps licensed dispensaries at 400 statewide and generally bars new or relocated dispensaries within one mile of another licensed dispensary. It retains a 10% adult-use excise tax, in addition to applicable sales taxes. After refunds, 64% of that excise revenue goes to the state general revenue fund and 36% to communities hosting dispensaries. Those communities may use their allocations for any lawful purpose. [3][4]
The law also created a court application process for expunging specified earlier marijuana or hashish possession cases. Relief is not automatic. Eligibility depends on the listed offenses, case dates and, for some hashish offenses, quantity. Courts hold a hearing, prosecutors may object, and the statute generally requires a $50 filing fee unless the applicant is indigent. People seeking relief should check the statute and their local court's application process. [5]
Our position.
Ohio should publish licensing decisions, expungement results, and cannabis-tax spending. Lawmakers should justify the dispensary cap and spacing rules with evidence about market access. Record relief should be accessible to eligible applicants.
Questions and next steps.
Ask Ohio lawmakers for transparent license scoring, plain-language expungement help and public reporting on cannabis-tax spending.
Find your lawmakersThis is a dated policy explainer for public discussion. Laws, court orders and implementation dates can change. Check the official sources before relying on a legal detail. How we report and classify policy.