Ohio Adult-Use Marijuana Activists Submit Signatures for November Ballot Initiative

A group of marijuana legalization activists delivered thousands of signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State‘s Office on Wednesday in an attempt to put an initiative to legalize the purchase and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older on the ballot in November.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 222,198 signatures to the secretary of state’s office before the deadline to go before voters in November.

The marijuana legalization activists needed to gather over 124,046 signatures by July 5th to qualify for this November’s ballot.

The proposed initiative wants to impose a 10 percent tax on the sale of all cannabis products, permit adults to grow up to six plants per person or 12 per household and legalize the possession, purchase, and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older.

Reviewing the collected signatures to decide whether the initiative will appear on the ballot will take several weeks. There is an extended time when the groups can collect more signatures and refile to get on the ballot should they fall short.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has until July 20th to formally sign off on whether the measure makes the ballot.

Although LaRose told The Ohio Star that he thinks the marijuana legalization initiative is a “bad idea” he said that the effort is “very well funded” and it wouldn’t shock him if they are able to get the adequate number of valid signatures to get on the November ballot.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), marijuana is a mind-altering (psychoactive) drug produced by the Cannabis sativa plant.

Republican officials have stated that they oppose the drug’s recreational use and are instead focusing on improving Ohio’s medical marijuana program. Two more cannabis legalization initiatives introduced last year have stalled in the Statehouse.

Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) has previously said that he thinks a marijuana ballot question “would fail as bad as the last one,” citing a 2015 marijuana legalization measure that approximately 65 percent of the electorate opposed.

According to The Recovery Center, a study released in October 2012 found that individuals treated for marijuana addiction had a higher mortality rate than those with diagnoses related to cocaine or alcohol but lower than those with methamphetamine or opioid-related disorders.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states that studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes. They do not know, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a 156-member GOP House Caucus, unveiled the Family Policy Agenda in September of last year, which includes a “danger of drugs” section entirely about cannabis legalization and how it leads to violent crime and suicide.

“Congress should not legalize marijuana, while also taking steps to constrain this new industry’s ability to harm children. At the very least, Congress should direct the CDC to gather data and conduct studies on the health impacts of THC use during childhood and early adolescence with a special focus on deaths by suicide and those involved in violent crime to provide Congress and the public with further information about these dangers,” the Family Policy Agenda reads.

In 2015, Ohio voters defeated an initiated constitutional amendment that would have legalized the limited sale and use of marijuana and created 10 facilities with exclusive commercial rights to grow marijuana. The vote margin was 63.65 percent to 36.35 percent. ResponsibleOhio PAC sponsored the initiative.

This is a proposed law, not a change to the state Constitution. State legislators can amend or abolish laws, including ones that voters enacted, but only a superseding amendment that the general public has adopted can change or repeal constitutional amendments.

The conservative Center for Christian Virtue says they will fight efforts to legalize cannabis in Ohio. Its leader, Aaron Baer, said the group opposed the failed 2015 attempt to legalize pot and will fight again.

“The marijuana industry is not going to be able to fool another state, is not going to be able to fool Ohioans with their lies and their empty promises of what marijuana will do for our state. The tax revenue is not true. The harmless effect of it is not true. The reality, it brings devastation,” Baer said.

Governor Mike DeWine has already said that he does not support of a measure to legalize marijuana.

“Given the problems caused by other substances, such as driving under the influence, “I think it’s ridiculous to add an additional problem,” DeWine said.

In November last year, five Ohio cities approved local marijuana decriminalization ballot initiatives during the midterm election.

Marijuana and THC remain illegal at the federal level, even though many states have legalized their use.

The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that if passed, Ohio would join 21 other states in legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes.

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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]