The Ohio Ballot Board has approved the language for a November ballot measure to legalize the possession, purchase, and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older.
The board approved the full ballot language as drafted by the Ohio Secretary of State‘s office, now titled Issue 2 for the November general election unanimously without discussion.
Ohio Secretary of State and Chairman of the Ballot Board Frank LaRose said that the “sole purpose” of the Ballot Board was only to prescribe the language and adopt the ballot language and explanations for the proposed ballot measure, not to “debate the merits of the issue.”
The proposed initiative submitted by The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol aims 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.
Petitioners filed arguments and explanations in favor of Issue 2 with the Secretary of State office as required by Ohio law. Ohio law allows the committee that is named in an initiative petition to prepare the arguments or explanations or both in favor of the measure proposed.
The General Assembly because they are not in session currently did not pass a resolution naming persons to prepare the arguments or explanations against Issue 2 which means that the Ballot Board must either prepare the missing arguments or explanations or designate a group of persons to prepare them.
According to Secretary of State LaRose, House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) and Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) submitted letters to the Ohio Ballot Board recommending the names of persons to prepare arguments and explanations against the proposed constitutional amendment.
The Ohio Ballot Board unanimously approved the suggested names during their meeting designating Republican State Senators Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) and Mark Romanchuck (R-Ontario) and Republican State Representative Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) to develop the arguments against the statute.
According to a spokesperson for The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol attorney Tom Haren, they are pleased with the board’s unanimous approval of the ballot language.
“Unanimous approval by the bipartisan ballot board should assure voters that ‘What they see is what they’ll get,” Haren said.
As previously reported by The Ohio Star Governor Mike DeWine says that legalizing recreational marijuana in Ohio would “be a mistake.” Senate President Huffman has also stated that he opposes the drug’s recreational use and is instead focusing on improving Ohio’s medical marijuana program.
A coalition of Ohio leaders across children’s health care, business, veterans, and law enforcement institutions has already formed in opposition to the proposed law. They say that the proposal is bad for Ohio’s families, workers, and economy.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), marijuana is a mind-altering (psychoactive) drug produced by the Cannabis sativa plant.
This is a proposed law, not a change to the 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.
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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].
Photo “Verde Natural Cannabis Dispensary” by My 420 Tours. CC BY-SA 4.0.
