Marijuana Moment: Most Ohioans See Marijuana As ‘Safe’ And ‘Acceptable,’ New Poll Shows As State Officials Launch Campaign Highlighting Risks Of Use

2026-05-12T12:37:14Z

Ohio officials are launching a public education campaign about the risks of marijuana use—an effort that involves partnering with an organization behind a new poll that shows widespread support for legalization and broad acceptance of cannabis use among the state’s residents.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) touted the campaign, which will be overseen by the Department of Commerce (DOC) and supported by $20 million appropriated by lawmakers under the state’s marijuana law, on Monday. DOC will collaborate with the OneOhio Recovery Foundation on the awareness initiative.

“Since my first day in office, combating addiction and protecting the health of Ohio families has been a top priority for our administration,” DeWine said in a press release. “With non-medical marijuana now legal in Ohio, it’s more important than ever that Ohioans—especially young people and mothers—have access to accurate information and understand the real consequences of use.”

While state officials pointed to recent polling from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation to justify the outreach effort—noting findings that show increase use of cannabis among adults since non-medical sales started in 2024, for example—the survey also included several takeaways underscoring public support for the reform.

For example, 60 percent of Ohioans agreed that legalization “has been good for local communities,” compared to just 17 percent who disagreed. Another 53 percent “believe that their community would be better off if more adults used marijuana on a regular basis,” the polling report says.

All told, about 2 in 5 Ohio adults (41 percent) said they consume cannabis in some form, including 56 percent of those under 55 years old.

“Ohioans believe that using marijuana is relatively safe and is more acceptable now that it is legal,” the report from Public Opinion Strategies says, with 62 percent of Ohioans believing cannabis is a “relatively innocent drug that poses few risks to users” compared to other drugs. Among current cannabis consumers, 81 percent said the same.

“Not only do 59 percent of Ohioans believe that recreational marijuana usage is safe, but 67 percent of all Ohioans agree that since marijuana is legal to use in the state, it is now more acceptable to use it,” the foundation’s survey found. “Ohioans just don’t believe that marijuana poses significant risks to its users.”

“Reinforcing that finding, nearly 60 percent of Ohioans believe that recreational marijuana usage is safe. Fully 68 percent of marijuana users in the state agree that ‘using marijuana poses very little risk to my health.’ Likewise, most current marijuana users believe that marijuana usage has a positive effect on most people.”

Men were more likely to report using marijuana (49 percent) than women (34 percent). Rates of usage were largely equitable across education levels, with 42 percent of high school graduates, 39 percent of those with some college experience and 43 percent of college graduates reporting cannabis consumption.

Ohioans living in what the pollster described as “big” cities were about twice as likely to use marijuana (69 percent) than those living in more rural areas of the state (35 percent).

Partnering with @1OhioFoundation, we’re launching a new statewide campaign to help Ohioans understand the health and safety risks of marijuana use. We’re starting with a maternal health focus and expanding through multi channel outreach. Learn more: https://t.co/k2As2KeC5C pic.twitter.com/BIfUBa1MLb

— Ohio Commerce (@OhioCommerce) May 11, 2026

The survey involved interviews with 2,000 Ohio adults from February 23-March 1, with a +/-2.5 percentage point margin of error.

The OneOhio Recovery Foundation, which commissioned the poll, says it was “created at the direction of Ohio’s state and local leaders to distribute 55 percent of the funds our state will receive from the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of its role in the national opioid epidemic.”

The organization’s board includes members appointed by the governor and attorney general, as well as leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Despite the widespread support for legalization and belief in the relatively safety of cannabis demonstrated by the survey, DeWine’s administration is promoting the partnership opportunity with the foundation as it gears-up for what it described as a “coordinated, multi-channel outreach effort to deliver clear, evidence-based information to Ohioans.”

The first phase of the effort, which is set to launch this summer, will focus on promoting information about the health risks of using marijuana in the context of maternal health. That will be expanded to promote awareness around marijuana and youth—with paid media, community partnerships and “on-the-ground outreach coordinated by the Foundation.”

OneOhio Recovery Foundation Executive Director Alisha Nelson said the organization is “seeing growing misconceptions about the risks associated with marijuana, and this campaign responds directly to what the research is telling us.”

“Too many people underestimate those risks, especially for young people and during pregnancy,” Nelson said. “This effort is about ensuring Ohioans have clear, accurate information to protect their health and make informed decisions to safeguard their futures.”

“As we recognize Maternal Health Awareness Month in May, we are preparing to launch a campaign that meets moms-to-be with information they can trust. Our goal is to help expectant mothers understand the risks of marijuana use during pregnancy, encourage open conversations with healthcare providers and connect families with resources to support healthy decisions.”

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