Ohio AG Calls Marijuana Amendment Incomplete, Asks Backers To Resubmit

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has rejected a proposed amendment to the state's constitution that would legalize recreational marijuana. 

Advocates behind the proposal must make corrections to the amendment's summary language, collect 1,500 more signatures and resubmit it, Cleveland.com reported this week.

In 2016, Ohio legalized medical marijuana. Now, the state's cannabis advocates are hustling to legalize recreational marijuana as well.

The “Amendment to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” was rejected Tuesday by Yost.

The proposal would have enabled Buckeye State residents ages 21 and older to purchase, use and hold up to 1 ounce of marijuana — and to cultivate six marijuana plants per household.

Yost said in a letter to Don McTigue, a lawyer representing the amendment’s backers, that the summary is incomplete, according to Cleveland.com. 

“Thus, it completely fails to inform a potential signer that the amendment elevates these ‘findings and declarations’ to a constitutional standard,” Yost wrote.

If the proposal is approved after resubmission, the advocacy group will need to collect around 443,000 signatures in three months in order to make the deadline for the November ballot, according to Cleveland.com. 

Among the amendment’s backers is Northeast Ohio attorney Tom Haren, who responded to Yost’s dismissal of the proposal and said the group remains dedicated to reaching their goal.

“While the Attorney General’s letter is a temporary setback, we are still within our internal timeline to achieve ballot access in 2020.  We remain committed to giving Ohio voters the opportunity to legalize marijuana this year,” he said.