The History of Marijuana in Ohio

Marijuana has a history in the United States which began when the plant was first introduced into the country by people from all over the world. Once the drug made its way into the United States, it spread, becoming popular for recreational and medicinal use. Some states have a long history with the plant, while other states are just now joining the fight for legalization. Ohio is among one of these states with a marijuana history that dates back to 1975.

On August 22, 1975, the governor at the time, James Rhodes, signed a bill decriminalizing the use of marijuana, making it the sixth state to do so. This step toward legalization was certainly surprising considering Ohio was one of the more conservative states during that time. The next step to legalize the drug came in 2015 with Issue 3, which sought to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana by creating a marijuana monopoly. When the state voted Issue 3 down, HB 523 was introduced the following year, which legalized medical marijuana for qualifying conditions.