The organization behind the state issue to legalize adult-use cannabis in Ohio stomped its counterpart opposition group, outraising them in funds ahead of the general election—by a 3-1 margin. Cannabis advocates are currently assembling to rally round before Ohio voters head to the ballot box next week to decide on adult-use cannabis and several other issues.

Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the organization behind Ohio’s adult-use cannabis issue, raised over three times the amount of money raised by the opposition group, Protect Ohio Workers and Families. (Keep it going by donating here.)

Next week, on Nov. 7, Ohio could become the latest state to legalize adult-use cannabis, joining dozens of other states and territories that have done so. If passed, Ohio’s Issue 2 would allow adults ages 21 and older to possess and purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates.

The Tribune Chronicle reports that during the pre-general election reporting period that started June 3 and ended Oct. 18, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol raised $1,186,731.80. Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project supplied the coalition $275,000. It’s the largest organization in the country that is focused on cannabis policy reform. The coalition also received nearly $800,000 from Ohio cannabis companies and those affiliated with those companies during the pre-general period.

If you include the first six months of this year, in the previous report, the coalition raised $2,957,500 with the Marijuana Policy Project giving $1,375,000.

On the other hand, Protect Ohio raised just $342,900 in the pre-general election period with $101,000 from the Ohio Manufacturers Association and $100,000 from Angela Phillips, CEO of Phillips Tubes Group Inc. in Middletown.

Local news stations reported on how well the issue is gaining support despite opposition from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. “We’ve seen it be such a success and we’ve seen it in other states,” voter Megan Schmidt told WTOL 11. “I mean, in Michigan the tax revenue that it’s generating, I would think that in Ohio we would want something like that as well.”

DeWine admitted the potential for profit but said that legal pot would create other problems. Benzinga and The Dales Report described his opposition to cannabis becoming “more vociferous” at recent appearances.

“I don’t think it’s worth the money that we’re going to get because of all the other problems that it’s going to create,” he said recently. 

“More people are going to die on the highway and you’re going to see more kids who end up in the emergency room. I don’t think it makes sense. I don’t think it’s a good deal for the little tax dollars that this may create,” DeWine said.

Lobbying is expensive, and efforts consume a lot of money. To advance the issue, during the pre-general period, the coalition spent $818,389.23, $600,378.90 going to Cambridge Communications LLC of Columbus for digital advertising, consulting, campaign literature, and yard signs, and $60,000 going to Battleground Strategies LLC of Columbus for consulting.

Protect Ohio, on the other hand, spent $230,258.77 with $68,000 to Causeway Solutions LLC of Metairie, La., for data and research services, $47,149.24 to Majority Strategies of Dallas for public communications and $33,000 to Castletown Media of Lake Forest Park, Md., for video production, The Tribune Chronicle reports.

You may remember failed attempts to legalize pot in Ohio in the past such as the embarrassing effort in 2015, when Nick Lachey and others supported Issue 3, which would have only allowed for four commercial producers, costing a fortune to get a license. Even some growers didn’t support it.

Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol backs 2023’s Issue 2 which would legalize home growing and have much more reasonable provisions—looking much more appealing to voters.

“Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is an effort to encourage Ohio legislators to regulate marijuana for adult-use, just like we do for alcohol,” the coalition website reads. “Our proposal fixes a broken system while ensuring local control, keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and benefiting everyone.

The proposed law would:

• Legalize and regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products to adults ages 21 and up
• Legalize home grow for adults ages 21 and up with a limit of six plants per person and 12 plants per residence

“Marijuana legalization is an issue whose time has come in Ohio. According to recent polling, Ohioans are not only in favor of legalizing marijuana for regulated adult-use, they view it as inevitable. We hope that Ohio’s leaders seize this opportunity to take control of our future.”

In addition to cannabis legalization, abortion rights advocates in Ohio also raised considerable funding.

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A poll commissioned by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA)—the campaign supporting the ballot initiative—and conducted by FM3 Research surveyed likely November voters in mid-August, specifically asking about their stance on ushering in recreational cannabis laws for the Buckeye State.

The results found that roughly three out of five Ohio voters support the cannabis legalization measure set to appear on the November ballot, and nearly two-thirds of respondents said that they believe adult-use cannabis legalization in Ohio is “inevitable.”

Most Ohioans Support November’s Adult-Use Cannabis Measure

The survey consisted of 843 total interviews for Ohio voters likely to turn out for this November’s elections through telephone calls, email and text invitations. 

Nearly two-thirds of voters approved of the state’s medical cannabis system (63% total, with 29% “strongly approving” and 34% “somewhat approving”), a slight drop from September 2020’s 70% total. When asked, “Regardless of how you feel about this specific measure, do you think marijuana should be taxed, regulated, and legalized for adults in Ohio?” 67% agreed (50% strongly and 17% somewhat), once again a slight dip from 2022’s 71% and 2020’s 73%.

The survey also asked Ohioans, regardless of how they feel about adult-use cannabis personally, if they believe the legalization of cannabis in the state is “inevitable.” Sixty-three percent said yes.

The poll then looked at the specific measure on the upcoming ballot. 

A total of 59% of respondents said yes, they were planning to vote for the upcoming cannabis measure — albeit in varying capacities. Thirty-eight percent said “definitely yes,” 17% said “probably yes,” while 5% said “undecided, lean yes.”

About Ohio’s Adult-Use Cannabis Measure

This ballot measure would legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis for adults over the age of 21, along with up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. Individuals could grow up to six plants for personal use, capping out at 12 plants per household. The measure would also impost a 10% sales tax on cannabis sales, with revenue divided to support social equity and jobs programs (36%), localities allowing adult-use cannabis enterprises to operate in the region (36%), education and substance misuse programs (25%) and administrative costs of implementing the system (3%).

The measure would also establish a Division of Cannabis Control under the state Department of Commerce, with the authority to “license, regulate, investigate, and penalize adult use cannabis operators, adult use testing laboratories, and individuals required to be licensed.”

Current medical cannabis businesses would also enjoy a headstart in the recreational market, as regulators would begin issuing adult-use licenses to qualified applicants who operate existing medical cannabis businesses within nine months of enactment. The division would also be required to issue 40 recreational cultivator licenses and 50 adult-use retailer licenses, with preference to applications participating under the cannabis social equity and jobs program.

Municipalities would also be allowed to opt out from allowing new recreational cannabis companies from operating in the area, though they could not block existing medical cannabis businesses from expanding to add co-located adult-use operations. Employers would also be allowed to maintain policies prohibiting workers from consuming recreational cannabis.

Consistent With Other Recent Polling

The results itself says that the results are “remarkably consistent” with other recent, publicly-released polls. 

One of the most recent polls, conducted by Fallon Research and published in August, found that 59% of voters said they would vote yes on the initiative. This poll also used colloquial ballot language when prompting answers, referencing the specific policy changes Ohioans could expect if they voted yes.

Another recent poll conducted by Suffolk university also found that 59% of voters support legalizing adult-use cannabis possession and sales.

A recent study shows that the adult-use market could also create potential for hefty boosts in tax revenue. The study conducted by Ohio State University suggests that the state could generate between $275 million and $403 million by the fifth year of operations in adult-use tax revenue, should voters move to legalize.

The most recent poll data can be found here.

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The Ohio-based advocacy group known as Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMA) got a citizen-initiative approved to legalize cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and sales for residents over 21.

In July, advocates submitted 123,367 signatures to qualify for the ballot this November, but they actually needed 124,046. “It looks like we came up a little short in this first phase, but now we have 10 days to find just 679 voters to sign a supplemental petition—this is going to be easy, because a majority of Ohioans support our proposal to regulate and tax adult use marijuana,” said CRMA spokesperson Tom Haren.

Advocates worked to collect the remaining 679 signatures, but instead submitted 6,545 signatures for the initiative to qualify for the ballot in early August.

Recently Ohio voters rejected Issue 1, which was a constitutional change proposal that would have made it more difficult to enact constitutional amendments. In the case of a proposed ballot measure heading to the polls for abortion rights, the failure of Issue 1 would instead allow the measure to pass with a majority vote, rather than a minimum of 60% in favor.

While the cannabis citizen-initiative will not amend the Ohio constitution, and therefore is not affected by Issue 1, it could be indirectly affected in terms of increased voter turnout. “The failure of Issue 1 really, really is going to create a massive turnout in November and the people that I think would be likely to vote on that abortion issue would also be more likely to vote positively on the recreational marijuana issue,” Attorney David Waxman told the Ohio Capital Journal.

Another attorney, James Sandy, added that the hot topic of abortion rights will distract voters from opposing the cannabis initiative. “Being on the ballot with such a hot issue like abortion, some of the groups that might be willing to fundraise against legalizing adult-use in Ohio are going to be using those resources on the abortion initiative,” Sandy said.

Haren maintained confidence for the success of cannabis legalization. “We have always believed that our issue is popular and will pass no matter the date of the election or who we share the ballot with,” Haren said.

A recent poll conducted by Suffolk University found that 59% of voters support legalizing cannabis possession and sales.

“I think people who go out to vote in November are likely to support us no matter what they vote on the abortion amendment,” said Haren. “I think we will be popular among those who vote yes (on the abortion rights amendment) and we’re going to be popular among those who vote no (on the abortion rights amendment) as well.”

The Ohio cannabis ballot initiative was confirmed to be on the ballot on Aug. 16.

A paper published by researchers at Ohio State University, entitled “What Tax Revenues Should Ohioans Expect If Ohio Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis?” found that Ohio could collect up to $403.6 million in annual tax revenue if cannabis is legalized. This is the second time researchers have published a report on the potential impact of legalization in Ohio, which previously estimated that the state could earn anywhere between $276.2 million (last year’s estimate) to $403.6 million after five years of legalization have passed.

“Though these projections are subject to various assumptions, the tax revenue experiences of other states support claims that Ohio is likely to generate hundreds of millions in tax revenues from a mature adult-use market,” researchers wrote. “For comparison, in FY 2021, Ohio casinos have generated gross tax revenues of over $300 million, so it is possible that cannabis sales in Ohio will generate tax returns comparable to those now collected through the gross casino revenue tax.”

Researchers concluded that these estimates for annual cannabis tax revenue would be impressive, but still only “represent a small percentage of Ohio’s $60+ billion annual budget.”

This article was updated on 8/17/23.

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The supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize adult-use cannabis in Ohio last week submitted petitions with more than 6,500 additional signatures from voters who would like to see the proposal appear on the ballot for this year’s general election. The supplemental signatures were collected and delivered by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol on Thursday after the group’s original submission last month fell just short of the threshold to trigger a vote on the proposal.

“This submission validates what we’ve said all along: regulating marijuana is popular in Ohio,” campaign spokesman Thomas Haren said in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch on August 3. “We’re looking forward to giving Ohio voters a chance to make their voices heard at the ballot this fall.”

Signature Gathering Originally Fell Short

The coalition submitted more than 222,000 signatures to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose in early July, far more than the 124,046 needed for the initiative to qualify for the ballot for the November 2023 general election. But three weeks later, LaRose revealed that the campaign had collected just over 123,000 verified signatures, adding that the signature verification and tabulation results “indicate that petitioners filed an insufficient number of valid signatures.” He also noted that the campaign would have 10 days to obtain and submit the additional signatures needed to hit the goal.

“To submit a sufficient number of valid signatures, petitioners need an additional 679 valid signatures that are not contained in the original or prior supplementary petitions,” LaRose wrote in a statement on July 25.

After the announcement from the secretary of state, the legalization campaign acknowledged the group’s shortfall in a statement, saying that making up the difference to reach the signature goal would be “easy.”

“It looks like we came up a little short in this first phase, but now we have 10 days to find just 679 voters to sign a supplemental petition – this is going to be easy, because a majority of Ohioans support our proposal to regulate and tax adult-use marijuana,” Haren said in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch. “We look forward to giving Ohio voters a chance to make their voices heard this November.”

The group set to work to gather additional signatures from voters across the state of Ohio, using social media platforms including Reddit to publicize signature-gathering drives. Last week, the campaign submitted an additional 6,545 signatures, one day before the 10-day deadline. 

The supplemental petitions will now be delivered to county election boards, where signature verification will take place over an eight-day period. Results from election boards will then be reviewed by LaRose, who will announce if the campaign has received enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. On Thursday, the coalition said that legalizing marijuana will benefit the community.

“It works, generates hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue every year and makes sure that consumers have an alternative to the illicit market where they can buy products that they’re confident aren’t laced with illicit substances,” Haren said.

Proposed Ballot Measure Would Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis

If passed, the proposed ballot initiative would legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio for adults 21 and older, who would be permitted to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. The proposal also legalizes marijuana cultivation for personal use, with adults allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants. Households with more than one adult would be permitted to grow a total of 12 plants. 

The commercial production and sales of cannabis products would be regulated by a new state agency named the Division of Cannabis Control, which would have the authority to “license, regulate, investigate, and penalize adult use cannabis operators, adult use testing laboratories, and individuals required to be licensed.” Cannabis products would carry a 10% tax, which would be dedicated to administrative costs of regulation, substance misuse treatment programs and a social equity and jobs program. Local governments with licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries would also receive a share of cannabis tax revenue. Under the proposal’s social equity program, some cannabis cultivation and dispensary licenses would be reserved for individuals from communities that have faced disproportionate enforcement of Ohio’s current marijuana laws.

“We are proposing to regulate marijuana for adult use, just like we do for alcohol,” Haren said in a press release when the campaign was launched nearly two years ago. “Our proposal fixes a broken system while ensuring local control, keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and benefiting everyone.”

Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016 through a bill passed by the state legislature, leading to the opening of the state’s first regulated cannabis dispensaries in 2019. In 2015, an earlier proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis was successfully added to the ballot, but the measure was defeated by more than 65% of the state’s voters.

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A campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio fell short of the number of verified signatures needed to qualify a proposed ballot measure for the ballot, missing its goal by less than 700 signatures. The effort is not dead, however, as activists have been given 10 more days to make up the signature deficit.

On Tuesday, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol had collected more than 123,000 valid signatures from registered voters to put the adult-use cannabis legalization initiative on the ballot for an election to be held in November. However, he said that the results of the signature verification and tabulation “indicate that petitioners filed an insufficient number of valid signatures,” adding that the campaign would have 10 days to obtain and submit the additional signatures needed to hit the goal of 124,046 valid signatures.

“To submit a sufficient number of valid signatures, petitioners need an additional 679 valid signatures that are not contained in the original or prior supplementary petitions,” LaRose wrote in a statement.

After the announcement from the secretary of state, Tom Haren, a spokesman for the legalization campaign, acknowledged the group’s shortfall in a statement on Tuesday, saying that making up the difference to reach the signature goal would be “easy.”

“It looks like we came up a little short in this first phase, but now we have 10 days to find just 679 voters to sign a supplemental petition – this is going to be easy, because a majority of Ohioans support our proposal to regulate and tax adult-use marijuana,” Haren said in a statement to the Columbus Dispatch. “We look forward to giving Ohio voters a chance to make their voices heard this November.”

If the signature goal is met, the state ballot board will convene to certify the language used on the ballot and begin efforts to prepare for the November election.

Proposal Would Legalize Weed For Adults

If passed, the proposed ballot initiative would legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio for adults 21 and older, who would be permitted to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. The proposal also legalizes marijuana cultivation for personal use, with adults allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants. Households with more than one adult would be permitted to grow a total of 12 plants. 

The commercial production and sales of cannabis products would be regulated by a new state agency named the Division of Cannabis Control, which would have the authority to “license, regulate, investigate, and penalize adult use cannabis operators, adult use testing laboratories, and individuals required to be licensed.” Cannabis products would carry a 10% tax, which would be dedicated to administrative costs of regulation, substance misuse treatment programs and a social equity and jobs program. Local governments with licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries would also receive a share of cannabis tax revenue. Under the proposal’s social equity program, some cannabis cultivation and dispensary licenses would be reserved for individuals from communities that have faced disproportionate enforcement of Ohio’s current marijuana laws.

“We are proposing to regulate marijuana for adult use, just like we do for alcohol,” Haren said in a press release when the campaign was launched nearly two years ago. “Our proposal fixes a broken system while ensuring local control, keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and benefiting everyone.”

Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016 through a bill passed by the state legislature, leading to the opening of the state’s first regulated cannabis dispensaries in 2019. In 2015, an earlier proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis was successfully added to the ballot, but the measure was defeated by more than 65% of the state’s voters.

LaRose first submitted the coalition’s proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in January 2022, but a dispute with lawmakers over the timing of the initiative led to legal action. Under an agreement between the campaign and legislators, the initiative was kept off the 2022 election ballot, requiring the campaign to wait until this year.

Public opinion is in favor of reform, with a Spectrum News/Siena College poll conducted last year showing that 60% of Ohio voters strongly or somewhat support marijuana legalization. If the proposal succeeds at the polls in November, Ohio will become the 24th state to legalize adult-use cannabis.

“We expect that our proposal is going to pass with a mandate from Ohio voters that we want to follow in the footsteps of the other half of the United States that have legalized and regulated marijuana since 2013,” Haren told WSOU Public Media.

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Cannabis activists in Ohio have reached a settlement to move a vote on legalizing recreational cannabis to next year, ending a controversy over a deadline to collect signatures from voters supporting the proposal. Under the terms of the agreement reached with state officials on Friday, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol will retain the more than 140,000 signatures collected for this year’s effort and avoid having to repeat the process for the 2023 election.

“This guarantees the validity of the signatures we’ve already gathered, and we’ve got a much clearer path if we have to get to the ballot next year,” said Tom Haren, a spokesman for the coalition.

The group seeking to legalize cannabis for use by adults in Ohio sued Republican legislative leaders earlier this month after they refused to consider a proposal to legalize recreational cannabis signed by more than 140,000 voters. The agreement reached between state officials and activists last week will move a vote on the proposal to next year.

The proposal from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would allow adults 21 and older in Ohio to possess and purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. Adults would also be permitted to legally grow up to six cannabis plants at home, with a cap of 12 plants per household.

The measure would also establish a 10% tax on sales of cannabis products. Revenue raised by cannabis taxes would be allocated to administering the program and to local governments in cities and towns that choose to host recreational cannabis dispensaries. Taxes would also be used to fund substance abuse programs and a social equity and jobs program.

Ohio Activists Submitted More Than 140,000 Signatures

In December, the coalition submitted petitions with more than 200,000 signatures, far exceeding the 132,887 necessary to send the proposal to the state legislature for consideration. But in January, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office announced that fewer than 120,000 of the signatures had been verified as registered voters.

Activists then submitted nearly 30,000 additional signatures to state officials for verification. The added signatures were enough to meet the minimum threshold required, according to a letter LaRose sent in late January.

“The initial part-petitions contained 119,825 valid signatures on behalf of the proposed statewide initiative of the total signatures submitted, signatures from 51 counties were submitted that met or exceeded 1.5% of the total number of votes cast for governor in the respective counties at the last gubernatorial election,” Larose wrote in a letter posted online by Northeast Ohio Media Group.

“The additional part-petitions contained 16,904 valid signatures on behalf of the proposed statewide initiative,” the secretary of state continued in his letter. “I hereby certify that the part-petitions contained a total of 136,729 valid signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed statewide initiative petition.”

Under Ohio state law, petitioners for proposed ballot measures must submit signatures at least 10 days before the legislative session begins. Lawmakers then have four months to act on the proposal. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted its signatures on January 28, which would establish a May 28 deadline for lawmakers to act on the petition.

Legalization Effort Challenged By GOP Leaders

But lawyers for Republican legislators argued that the petition should have been submitted and approved 10 days before the start of the legislation. Under that scenario, legalization activists missed the deadline, leading GOP legislative leaders to argue that the petition should not be considered until 2023. According to emails filed with the campaign’s lawsuit filed in Franklin County, Attorney General Dave Yost’s office appeared to agree with the Republican legal counsel’s analysis.

Activists with the cannabis legalization campaign sued Republican leaders, contending that the submission of signatures to LaRose’s office on January 28 fulfilled the legal deadline for the legalization petition. The legal action asked the court to rule that the campaign has complied with the process and permit the cannabis legalization effort to continue this year. If the suit had succeeded, activists would then have had until early July to collect additional signatures to qualify the proposal for this year’s general election in November.

The agreement reached last week brings an end to the controversy over the deadline to submit signatures and moves the vote to legalize recreational cannabis in Ohio to 2023.

“We are delighted to have reached this settlement, which has preserved our initial signatures, provided the General Assembly with a second opportunity to consider the proposed statute, and established a clear path to ballot access in 2023,” Haren said in a statement from the campaign. “To be certain: we aren’t going anywhere and are undeterred in our goal to legalize cannabis for all adults in Ohio.”

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Ohio cannabis activists have filed a lawsuit against Republican leaders in the state legislature, alleging that they are attempting to thwart a cannabis legalization ballot question from appearing before voters in the November general election. Members of the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol filed the action on Friday against House Speaker Bob Cupp and Senate President Matt Huffman, claiming the legislative leaders are improperly trying to delay the ballot question until next year.

The proposal from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would allow adults 21 and older in Ohio to possess and purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. Adults would also be permitted to legally cultivate up to six cannabis plants at home, with a cap of 12 plants per household.

The measure would also levy a 10% tax on sales of cannabis products. Revenue raised by cannabis taxes would be dedicated to administering the program and to cities and towns with cannabis dispensaries. Taxes would also fund substance abuse programs and a social equity and jobs program.

More Than 135,000 Signed Petitions To Legalize Cannabis in Ohio

At the end of last year, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alchohol submitted petitions with more than 200,000 signatures, significantly more than the 132,887 necessary to send the proposal to lawmakers for consideration. But in January, the secretary of state’s office announced that less than 120,000 of the signatures had been verified as registered voters.

Activists then submitted nearly 30,000 additional signatures to state officials for verification. Those signatures were enough to meet the minimum threshold required, according to a letter from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent in late January.

“The initial part-petitions contained 119,825 valid signatures on behalf of the proposed statewide initiative of the total signatures submitted, signatures from 51 counties were submitted that met or exceeded 1.5 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the respective counties at the last gubernatorial election,” Larose wrote in a letter posted online by Northeast Ohio Media Group.

“The additional part-petitions contained 16,904 valid signatures on behalf of the proposed statewide initiative,” he continued. “I hereby certify that the part-petitions contained a total of 136,729 valid signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed statewide initiative petition.”

GOP Lawmakers Challenge Timeliness of Petition

Under Ohio state law, petitioners for proposed ballot measures must submit signatures at least 10 days before the legislative session. Lawmakers then have four months to act on the proposal. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted its signatures on January 28, which would translate to a May 28 deadline for lawmakers to act on the petition.

But lawyers for GOP legislators have argued that a petition must be submitted and approved 10 days before the start of the legislation. Under that interpretation, legalization activists missed the deadline, leading legislative leaders to suggest the petition will not be considered until 2023. According to emails filed with the campaign’s lawsuit filed in Franklin County on Friday, Attorney General Dave Yost’s office seemed to agree with the GOP legal counsel’s analysis.

The lawsuit by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol contends that the submission of signatures to LaRose’s office on January 28 fulfilled the legal deadline for the legalization petition. The legal action asks the court to rule that the campaign has complied with the process and permit the cannabis legalization effort to continue this year. If the suit is successful, activists would then have until early July to collect additional signatures to qualify the proposal for the November general election.

A spokesperson for LaRose declined to comment on the legal action, according to a report from The Columbus Dispatch. Spokesmen for Huffman and Cupp did not immediately respond to a questions submitted by the newspaper.

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Activists in Ohio last week submitted nearly 30,000 additional signatures as part of an effort to get a marijuana legalization proposal before state lawmakers.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that the group known as the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol “turned in another 29,918 signatures to Secretary of State Frank LaRose” on Thursday “after falling short earlier this month.”

The coalition submitted a total of 206,943 signatures late last month as part of a petition campaign for the legalization proposal to be brought to the legislature. 

If the proposal were to be enacted, Ohioans ages 21 and older could legally buy and possess as many as 2.5 ounces of pot. The activists must obtain 132,887 signatures from Ohio voters spanning a minimum of 44 counties in order for the proposal to be considered by lawmakers. Then, lawmakers have a maximum of four months to act on the bill.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol suffered a setback earlier this month when LaRose’s office said that only 119,825 of the more than 200,000 signatures were valid—well under the threshold.

Now, with almost 30,000 additional signatures submitted, the coalition will hope that the legalization measure will finally make it to the state house in Columbus.

According to the Dispatch, if legislators “don’t pass the bill or pass an amended version” within the four-month time frame, “supporters can collect another 132,887 valid signatures to put the measure on the November ballot.”

In addition to permitting eligible adults to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, the new proposal would also allow for up to “15 grams of concentrates,” along with “up to six plants individually and no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults,” according to the Dispatch.

The newspaper reported that, under the proposal, cannabis products “would be taxed at 10 percent, with revenue going toward administrative costs, addiction treatment programs, municipalities with dispensaries, and a social equity and jobs program.”

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol launched its campaign in earnest in July.

“We are proposing to regulate marijuana for adult use, just like we do for alcohol. Our proposal fixes a broken system while ensuring local control, keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and benefiting everyone,” coalition Spokesman Tom Haren said in a press release at the time of the campaign launch.

“Ohioans want this,” he added. “They see marijuana legalization as inevitable. They want our leaders to seize the opportunity and take control of our future. Marijuana legalization is an issue whose time has come in Ohio. Nineteen states have gone before Ohio and we crafted legislation based on the best practices learned by those that went before us.”

But in the announcement, Haren noted that lawmakers did not have to wait for the petitions to be verified, saying the group is “ready to work with the General Assembly on meaningful reform right now, and it’s our sincere hope that we’ll collaborate on a sensible solution.”

While recreational cannabis isn’t yet legal in the Buckeye State, Ohio has had a medical cannabis program since 2016. Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill that would amount to some of the biggest changes to the program since it launched. 

Most notably, the bill would permit licensed physicians to “recommend marijuana for treatment for any condition if the physician, in the physician’s sole discretion and medical opinion, finds either of the following”: “that the patient’s symptoms may reasonably be expected to be relieved from medical marijuana” and “that the patient may otherwise reasonably be expected to benefit from medical marijuana.”

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More than 200,000 signatures later, a proposal to legalize cannabis in Ohio is heading back to the legislature.

Activists in Ohio submitted their petitions totaling 206,943 signatures this week to the secretary of state for verification for a proposal that would legalize possession and purchases of cannabis for adults.

Once the verification is done, “lawmakers will have four months to act on the legislation,” the Columbus Dispatch reported, and if they fail to pass the bill or an amended version, “supporters can collect another 132,887 valid signatures to put the measure on the ballot for the next general election.”

The Dispatch reported that the proposal “would allow Ohioans age 21 and older to buy and possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates,” and that they “could also grow up to six plants individually and no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults.”

Cannabis products “would be taxed 10 percent, with revenue going toward administrative costs, addiction treatment programs, municipalities with dispensaries and a social equity and jobs program,” according to the newspaper.

The group behind the legalization effort is the “Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.”

“Marijuana legalization is an issue whose time has come in Ohio. According to recent polling, Ohioans are not only in favor of legalizing marijuana for regulated adult-use, they view it as inevitable,” the coalition says on its website. “We hope that Ohio’s leaders seize this opportunity to take control of our future. Support for a regulatory and taxation system is critical in order to set Ohio up for success should we see changes at the federal level.”

The group says its campaign is “an effort to encourage Ohio legislators to regulate marijuana for adult-use, just like we do for alcohol,” and to advance a proposal that would fix “a broken system while ensuring local control, keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and benefiting everyone.”

Ohio Plans for Legalization

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol first drafted the proposed bill in the summer, and began gathering signatures shortly thereafter. 

The Dispatch reported that this campaign is different from the one waged in 2015, “when voters rejected a constitutional amendment pushed by ResponsibleOhio that would have paved the way for adult marijuana use.”

Additionally, the latest legalization proposal would grandfather the state’s medical cannabis businesses into the newly created recreational market, according to the Columbus Dispatch. 

Ohio’s medical cannabis program may already be on the cusp of a significant overhaul. The state Senate last week passed a bill that would result in the first changes to the program since it began five years ago. 

Most notably, the legislation would permit physicians in the state to “recommend marijuana for treatment for any condition if the physician, in the physician’s sole discretion and medical opinion, finds either of the following”: that the patient’s symptoms may reasonably be expected to be relieved from medical marijuana” and “that the patient may otherwise reasonably be expected to benefit from medical marijuana.”

The bill, which is currently under consideration by the state House of Representatives, would also add arthritis, migraines, autism spectrum disorder, spasticity or chronic muscle spasms, hospice care or terminal illness and opioid use disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis treatment.

Currently, cannabis treatment may be recommended for the following qualifying conditions: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Alzheimer’s disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Cancer; Chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Crohn’s disease; Epilepsy or another seizure disorder; Fibromyalgia; Glaucoma; Hepatitis C; Inflammatory bowel disease; Multiple sclerosis; Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable; Parkinson’s disease; Positive status for HIV; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Sickle cell anemia; Spinal cord disease or injury; Tourette’s syndrome; Traumatic brain injury, and Ulcerative colitis.

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