COLUMBUS – Marijuana may be legal in Ohio, but the state is making sure businesses that sell beer, wine and spirits know: pot is banned from their establishments.
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control and the Department of Public Safety has issued a memorandum “clarifying” the rules regarding the use of marijuana in bars, restaurants and other liquor permit premises following the passage of Issue 2, which legalized marijuana use in Ohio.
While Issue 2 has indeed legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults, that does not permit the use of marijuana in those businesses, the state agencies wrote.
Issue 2, approved by Ohio voters on Nov. 7, 2023, and effective since Dec. 7, 2023, did not alter the status of marijuana as a controlled substance. Thus, the restrictions of Ohio Administrative Code 4301:1-1-52 remain in effect. As a result, any liquor permit holders who knowingly or willfully permit the use of marijuana in, upon, or about their licensed permit premises are subject to administrative citation.
–Ohio Div. of Liquor Control
Bars, restaurants, or any other liquor permit holder are subject to fines or possible revocation of their license, the memorandum said.
Part of the Department of Commerce, the division, in partnership with the Department of Public Safety’s Investigative Unit and local law enforcement, is charged with controlling the manufacture, distribution, and sale of all alcoholic beverages in Ohio.