Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana use and home grow in 2023. Adults 21 and over can possess up to two and a half ounces of marijuana in plant form or up to 15 grams in extract form.
Republican state legislators started talking about amending the law almost immediately after it passed. But those efforts have stalled, and it seems unlikely that anything will change between now and the time the moon blocks out the sun for the first time in Ohio since 1806.
Here’s where things stand.
Can I smoke marijuana during the eclipse?
Yes, at your home or on other private property where it’s allowed. Smoking is still illegal in public places such as parks. State laws prohibiting smoking or vaping in public indoor spaces apply to marijuana as well.
And of course driving while high, or smoking in a motor vehicle even as a passenger, is also illegal.
Find additional news and information about the April 8 solar eclipse here.
Can I buy marijuana at a dispensary in Ohio?
Not for recreational use. Dispensaries can still only sell to people with medical marijuana cards.
In February, the Ohio Department of Cannabis Control proposed rules for medical dispensaries that want to sell to recreational users. According to WKYC, the DCC has submitted its proposal to Gov. Mike DeWine’s Common Sense Initiative, which reviews rules that affect businesses. The goal is to start accepting applications from dispensaries by June 7 and awarding licenses in September.
Can I bring marijuana to Ohio from another state?
Federal law still prohibits transporting weed across state lines.
What time should I start playing “Dark Side of the Moon”?
Pink Floyd’s iconic 1973 album ends with the song “Eclipse,” which closes with the lines
and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.
According to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Northeast Ohio will see total coverage of the sun at 3:15 p.m. “Dark Side of the Moon” runs 43 minutes and 9 seconds, so if you drop the needle on the first track, “Speak to Me,” at 2:32 p.m, the eclipse line and totality should sync up. More or less. Totality lasts almost four minutes, so you have a decent margin for error.
