Three potted marijuana plants.
A new bill would reduce the amount of marijuana Ohioans could grow at home. Credit: Signal Cleveland

The Ohio Statehouse can be a chaotic place. Keep that in mind as you read this batch of recreational marijuana questions and answers.

Issue 2 took effect on Dec. 7, making it legal to possess and grow marijuana in Ohio for personal use. As you read this, state lawmakers are reading and haggling over competing bills to make significant changes to the law.

House Bill 86 has already been approved by the Ohio Senate and is supported by Gov. Mike DeWine. (Read about it here.) But it faces opposition in the House, so all details that follow are subject to change. The answers are based on the best information available as of Tuesday afternoon.

Do you still need a medical marijuana card to buy it if you’re over 21?

For now, yes. But if HB86 passes, medical dispensaries will be allowed to sell to anyone over 21.

Will House Bill 86 change the marijuana possession limit?

No, if HB86 passes, it will remain legal to carry 2.5 ounces of plant material or 15 grams of extract if you are over 21.

However, HB 86 would cap at six the number of plants you could grow at home. Issue 2 allowed up to 12.

Do home grown plants count as possession?

No, the possession limits (see above) apply to what you have on you or in your car at any given time. But remember, you can’t smoke in public or drive under the influence.

Would I get in trouble for smoking in my back yard now?

If you own your home, no. If you rent, your landlord could prohibit smoking or growing on the premises.

Is the THC in extracts going to be capped at 50%?

That’s how HB86 is written, but, again, all of the details of the legislation are subject to change.

Do you have a question about recreational marijuana in Ohio? Leave us a message or text us at 216-220-9398.

Associate Editor and Director of the Editors’ Bureau (he/him)
Important stories are hiding everywhere, and my favorite part of journalism has always been the collaboration, working with colleagues to find the patterns in the information we’re constantly gathering. I don’t care whose name appears in the byline; the work is its own reward. As Batman said to Commissioner Gordon in “The Dark Knight,” “I’m whatever Gotham needs me to be.”