Marijuana Legalization Set To Appear On Ohio’s November Election Ballots

Recreational marijuana legalization may soon be legal in Ohio.

On Wednesday, the Ohio secretary of state’s office announced that legalizing recreational marijuana will appear on Ohio’s general election ballot in November after its initiative successfully collected enough signatures. If approved, the initiative would grant individuals aged 21 and over the right to use marijuana recreationally. Additionally, the initiative would end the current marijuana utilization regulations in the state that allows adults to have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and establish a 10% sales tax on the acquisition of the substance.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol initially submitted the petition last month but fell short by approximately 700 signatures. Nonetheless, when the state secretary of state’s office granted a 10-day extension, the group managed to gain over 4,000 signatures, significantly exceeding the requirement for the general election ballot.

The proposition also intends to create a new division within Ohio’s Department of Commerce tasked with supervising the licensing process for marijuana establishments. Additionally, it would instruct the Department of Development to investigate whether past marijuana regulations had a disproportionate impact on specific communities. Despite the federal illegality of marijuana use, numerous states have pursued legislative actions and ballot initiatives to govern recreational consumption in recent times.

Last year, the issue of marijuana legalization appeared on the ballots of five states: Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota. However, the measures were exclusively approved in Maryland and Missouri. Earlier this year, Minnesota’s legislative passed a bill to legalize recreational usage, while Oklahoma voters turned down the comparable proposition.