Supporters of Ohio marijuana legalization measure resubmit petition language to attorney general

Jackie Borchardt
Cincinnati Enquirer
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol resubmitted language for a proposed law legalizing recreational marijuana to the Ohio attorney general.

A group aiming to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio resubmitted petition language and signatures Friday after its initial effort was rejected last week.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is proposing an initiated statute, which would create a new law allowing adults age 21 and older to grow, possess and buy marijuana. The first step in the process is to have a summary of the proposed law, which will appear on petitions, approved as a "fair and truthful" summary by the Ohio attorney general.

Attorney General Dave Yost rejected the initial petition after finding at least seven areas where the summary did not accurately describe the proposed law.

“We appreciate the attorney general’s feedback on our initial filing, and have fully addressed the issues flagged in this updated filing” coalition spokesman Tom Haren said in a news release.

Supporters, which include several Ohio medical marijuana businesses, will eventually have to collect 132,887 signatures of registered Ohio voters to put the proposed law before the Ohio General Assembly. State lawmakers then have four months to act on the bill.

If legislators fail to pass the law, supporters can collect another 132,887 signatures to put the measure on the statewide ballot, likely in November 2022.

The proposed law would allow Ohio's medical marijuana businesses to operate on the recreational side and create 40 new cultivation licenses and 50 additional dispensary licenses for "social equity" applicants, who are economically and socially disadvantaged. No other licenses would be available for the first two years.

Ohioans could grow six marijuana plants at home in enclosed areas. Proceeds of a 10% tax on marijuana sales would go to education, addiction treatment and municipalities with marijuana businesses. Municipalities could opt out or limit marijuana businesses within their borders.

Jackie Borchardt is the bureau chief for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.