1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I urge you to veto S.B. 56, which fundamentally undermines the will of Ohio voters who approved Issue 2 in November 2023 with 57% support. This legislation transforms what voters intended as legalization into a framework for mass criminalization that will result in thousands of new arrests. The bill creates numerous criminal offenses that contradict the spirit of legalization. It criminalizes having previously opened edibles in a vehicle or on public transportation through an open container law. It makes it illegal to transfer marijuana into pill containers for dosage tracking, forcing people to carry bulky original packaging. It even criminalizes purchasing cannabis from neighboring Michigan, where lower prices make medicine more affordable for Ohioans. Marijuana policy researcher Karen O'Keefe warns this legislation is a slap in the face to voters and predicts thousands of additional arrests based on Minnesota's experience with over 3,500 arrests under similar open container laws. Such enforcement disproportionately impacts African American communities and other marginalized groups. The provision allowing police to establish probable cause during traffic stops if someone is a known consumer of marijuana invites selective enforcement and profiling. S.B. 56 also strips away critical protections that voters approved. Issue 2 included safeguards against discrimination in housing, employment, and organ donation. This bill removes those protections while eliminating funding for expungement of prior marijuana convictions, leaving thousands of Ohioans burdened with criminal records for conduct that is now legal. Senate President Rob McColley claims enforcement won't be a priority, but that argument only guarantees arbitrary and discriminatory application of these laws. If provisions aren't meant to be enforced, they shouldn't be criminal offenses. Ohioans spoke clearly in November 2023. I ask you to respect that decision and veto S.B. 56.