On June 8, 2016, Governor John R. Kasich signed into law HB 523, which legalizes marijuana in Ohio for specified medicinal purposes. The bill moved swiftly through the Legislature as lawmakers acted to preempt a marijuana legalization initiative that appeared headed for the November 2016 ballot. HB 523 takes effect on September 7, 2016. Below we provide some background on the issue and a general summary of the bill.