Ohio's Initiative To Legalize Recreational Cannabis Falls Short, But The Game Is Not Over Yet

Ohioans fighting for marijuana reform are facing a new challenge – the proposal to legalize recreational cannabis fell short on Tuesday of the needed signatures, reported the Associated Press. Fortunately for the backers, the game is not over yet.

What Happened: Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed that the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was lacking 679 signatures of the 124,046 that are required to place the question on the Nov. 7 ballot.

According to the Coalition spokesperson, Tom Haren, that shouldn’t be a problem.

“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 stated.

Why It Matters: If the proposal reaches the ballot, it needs a simple majority to pass and allow legal adult-use cannabis sales in addition to Ohio’s medical marijuana program. Many industry experts believe that if placed on the ballot, the initiative will pass.

Under the Coalition’s proposal, medical patients and people over 21 will be allowed to buy products at currently functioning medical marijuana dispensaries. Adults could purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and cultivate plants at home.

See Also: Ohio Update: No Medical Marijuana For Autism And OCD, Cannabis Oversupply, Legalization Is On The Ballot

There would be a 10% tax, to be used for administrative costs, addiction treatment, municipalities with dispensaries and social equity and jobs programs. Researchers from Ohio State University estimated the potential annual tax revenue generated from adult-use weed in the Buckeye State to be in the range of $276 million to $374 million in just five of an operational market.

What’s Next: The Collation has 10 days to collect more signatures. There’s also another way Ohioans could legalize weed via a bipartisan measure that was recently reintroduced. 

In May, state Reps. Jamie Callender (R) and Casey Weinstein (D) reintroduced a recreational marijuana legalization bill known as the Ohio Adult Use Act. If the House bill is heard and becomes law, cultivation and possession of cannabis for adults over 21 will become legal. Retail cannabis sales would be taxed at 10%, the same rate as a proposed ballot initiative, and convictions for past cultivation and possession could be expunged.  

The bipartisan bill is currently in the House committee.

See Also: Trulieve Seeks To Reclaim Debt, Enters Multi-Million Dollar Legal Battle With Ohio Dispensaries

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