There could be potential changes to recreational marijuana in the Buckeye State.

Senate Bill 56 aims to scale back Ohio's voter-backed recreational marijuana program including cutting home grow limits and where sales tax of the product goes. Towns like Austintown could be impacted by these changes, leaving less money in local municipality's pockets. 

State Senator Steven Huffman (R-Dist. 5) introduced the bill in January. followed by its first Senate General Government Committee hearing on Wednesday.

SB 56, if passed, would cap the number of Ohio dispensaries to 350. The language would also limit the number of plants that can be grown at home to 6, along with limiting the max level of THC in cannabis to 70%.

A major part of the bill looks to revise marijuana taxes, causing uncertainty for dispensary towns.

Back in 2023, Ohioans voted for a 10% tax on cannabis. 36% of that revenue would go back to the dispensary's host community. This bill would raise taxes to 15% plus those dollars would go to Ohio's general revenue fund instead.

This means Valley communities like Struthers, Warren, Boardman, Youngstown, and Austintown could miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Austintown Trustee Robert Santos told 21 News if he knew those funds would go to the state and not the township, he would not have approved the dispensary last year.

"If there is a revenue source that we can grasp that's not in our resident's pockets we're going to fight for it," Santos told 21 News on Friday. "And this is one of the reasons why we said yes [to a dispensary]. To have that stripped away from us again is something that we're not to happy about."

Santos said the current law could bring in up to $700k annually to the township.

"We were going to put it in a special line item so we could make sure that whatever is in need that year would get that funding," Santos said. "Obviously we have our issue with police funding. So, that is something that we would have put directly into our police fund to make sure it's staffed appropriately, they have the equipment they need, and the safety of our residents is taken care of."

If SB 56 passes, communities would not be able to revoke permits of already-approved dispensaries, leaving communities like Austintown with no financial benefit.

"That's why as soon I found out this information, the trustees, the commissioners, the Mayor of Struthers, we're on board to oppose this," he said.

Santos urges the public to contact legislators if they do not agree with SB 56. The bill has yet to be passed by the Ohio Senate and is currently in the Senate committee.