Ohio Gov. Says Advocates Challenging New Cannabis Rules Should Stop ‘Whining’

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said that advocates with the Ohioans for Cannabis Choice campaign to repeal recently adopted restrictions on hemp and cannabis products should stop “whining” about the policy change, the Ohio Capital Journal reports.

The campaign argues that the changes — which created new criminal penalties for possessing out-of-state cannabis products and banned intoxicating hemp products outright — represent “government overreach” and violate the will of Ohio voters, who approved the state’s adult-use cannabis policy in 2023.

But the governor said last week of the Legislature’s changes, “I think we’re very consistent with what voters intended.”

“I think the proponents should be happy with their victory at the polls, instead of now going back and whining about something the legislature has done, which frankly, I think is very consistent with what the average voter was thinking when they went in to vote.” — Gov. DeWine, in the report

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost rejected the campaign’s proposed ballot summary language in January, concluding the title and language were not “a fair and truthful representation of the measure.” But after revisions, Yost certified the campaign’s new summary language last week.

The campaign has until mid-March to collect the nearly 250,000 voter signatures required to qualify for November ballots.