COLUMBUS, Ohio—Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Amy Acton and Libertarian rival Don Kissick each say that, if elected, they would keep Ohio’s voter-approved recreational marijuana law in place.
But Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s stance on what he’d do about cannabis policy as governor remains hazy.
In 2023, Ohio became the 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana for people age 21 or older, as more than 57% of voters approved a ballot measure called Issue 2 to change state law.
Since then, the Republican-dominated Ohio legislature has grudgingly allowed marijuana to remain legal but has made a series of changes to the law, from capping the number of dispensaries at 400 to banning marijuana imported from other states.
Ohio’s next governor will have significant influence over the state’s cannabis policies, from appointing and overseeing state cannabis regulators to signing or vetoing legislation related to marijuana.
There’s also the issue of hemp-derived THC drinks and other products, which have proliferated in gas stations and convenience stores around Ohio in recent years thanks to a loophole in federal law.
While Ohio recently passed restrictions on intoxicating hemp products and a federal ban is set to begin this fall, the state-level rules have been put on hold by a federal court, and Ohio’s next governor will help decide the state’s stance on the products as legal and political disputes continue.
Acton, speaking through a spokeswoman, and Kissick said they support keeping recreational marijuana legal, preserving Ohio’s current 10% marijuana tax and maintaining some form of legal access to hemp-derived THC products.
Kissick provided more detailed answers than Acton, calling for changes to marijuana impaired-driving rules, expungements and business regulations.
Ramaswamy’s campaign, as it has with several previous installments in this series, did not respond to questions from The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com about his positions on marijuana and hemp policy.
Acton and Ramaswamy are the main contenders in what has become one of the most closely watched gubernatorial contests in the country this year. Kissick, as a third-party candidate, is a longshot.
This is the seventh in a series of stories in which The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com will examine where the 2026 candidates for Ohio governor stand on key issues leading up to November. Each story will ask the candidates to lay out what’s behind their campaign statements and explain specifically how they will put their proposals into practice if elected to the most powerful position in Ohio government.
Here are the four questions we posed to Acton, Kissick, and Ramaswamy about cannabis:
1. As governor, would you favor keeping recreational marijuana legal in Ohio, or would you push to repeal the 2023 initiated statute? Why?
2. If you favor keeping recreational marijuana legal, what – if any – changes would you seek to make to state marijuana law (for example, revising marijuana OVI law, changing rules for dispensaries, altering home-grow limits, etc.)? If you favor making marijuana illegal again, how would you go about doing that?
3. If elected, would you seek changes to Ohio’s marijuana tax policy, such as altering the state’s tax rate or modifying how marijuana tax revenue is distributed?
4. As governor, would you support creating a state framework to allow drinks and other products with hemp-derived THC in Ohio?
Acton
Acton campaign spokeswoman Addie Bullock, in a statement, reiterated a vow Acton made on social media in March that the former state health director would preserve Ohio’s recreational marijuana law.
“Dr. Acton will respect the clear will of the voters and ensure that Ohio adults 21 and older can safely make their own decisions,” Bullock said.
Beyond keeping Ohio’s 10% marijuana tax rate as-is, Bullock said Acton would also “be vigilant about legislative attempts to recriminalize elements of recreational marijuana use that Ohioans voted for on Issue 2.”
Acton’s campaign didn’t respond to a follow-up email asking which “elements” Bullock was referring to.
Acton’s same social-media post last March also stated she opposes the state’s new ban on hemp-based THC drinks and products, calling it “an out-of-touch overreach from our Statehouse that threatens jobs, small businesses, farmers, and local breweries.”
Bullock said that Acton favors regulating intoxicating hemp products under standards similar to what Ohio has in place for marijuana products, in order to ensure they are “rigorously regulated, tested, safe, and kept out of the hands of children.”
Kissick
Kissick, a TV station control room operator from Ottawa, stated in an email that he supports keeping recreational marijuana legal – a position long championed by the Libertarian Party.
“Ohio voters made their decision in 2023, and the government should respect that decision rather than repeatedly searching for ways to override it,” he stated.
Kissick said that, as governor, he would push to change Ohio law to allow marijuana OVI convictions only if prosecutors show drivers were actually impaired, rather than allowing convictions based solely on THC levels in blood or urine tests. Critics of current law argue that drivers can test above THC-related thresholds long after the intoxicating effects have worn off.
He also expressed support for sealing or expunging criminal records for marijuana-related conduct that is now legal thanks to Issue 2.
Kissick stated that, if elected, he would consider lowering the state’s 10% excise tax on marijuana “once the state’s legitimate administrative and regulatory costs are covered.” He would also look at state licensing and dispensary restrictions to ensure qualified small businesses can enter the market.
As for hemp-derived THC products, Kissick said Ohio should allow sales as before, without banning them or limiting sales to marijuana dispensaries. “Ohio can regulate these products responsibly without criminalizing them or handing exclusive control of the market to a small group of politically favored businesses,” he stated.
However, Kissick said the state should set rules for hemp products, such as limiting sales to adults 21 or older, banning sales and marketing to minors, and setting “reasonable” serving and package limits.
Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy, a Columbus-area entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate, hasn’t publicly said what he would do as governor about marijuana or intoxicating hemp in Ohio.
In 2023, Ramaswamy’s presidential campaign told Fox News in a statement that he favored the federal legalization of marijuana.
However, Ramaswamy also voted against Issue 2 in November 2023. Appearing on CNN the day of the election, Ramaswamy said that was because a state law that contradicts federal law is “an abandonment of the rule of law” and “creates a lot of confusion.”
He also criticized a since-repealed part of the new law that directed a portion of state marijuana tax revenue toward providing discounts on state fees for racial minorities, women and other disadvantaged groups looking to start marijuana businesses.
At the same time, Ramaswamy added, “We live in a constitutional republic. That means we live by what the people vote for according to the rules of that constitutional republic.”