According to a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, a strong majority of adults in Ohio support legalizing recreational marijuana. Also, a campaign seeking to put marijuana legalization to a vote is now just 679 votes short of their goal.
The new polling found that 58.6% of Ohio adults say they support explicitly allowing those over the age of 21 to buy and possess marijuana. Just 35% oppose the move, with 6% undecided. This means that even if everyone who is undecided chose to oppose legalization, support for the issue would still enjoy a 17% lead.
Unsurprisingly support was highest among Democrats at 77%, followed by independents at 63% and Republicans at 40%. The poll was conducted between July 9 and July 12, and it has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%.
In a press release sent today the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced that the state has confirmed the group has submitted 123,367 verified signatures. This means they are just 679 signatures short of the 124,046 signature requirement to put the initiative on the November ballot.
“[I]t 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”, said Tom Haren, a spokesperson for the group. “[T]his is going to be easy, because a majority of Ohioans support our proposal to regulate and tax adult use marijuana.”
Haren said they “look forward to giving Ohio voters a chance to make their voices heard this November”.
If passed into law, the initiative would legalize the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. The proposal would also allow for the personal cultivation of up to six marijuana plants, and it would establish a licensed and regulated system of marijuana stores, with marijuana taxed at 10%.
