Voters in Ohio will have the opportunity this November to make their state the 24th to legalize recreational marijuana.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced last week that the state has validated 123,367 signatures they submitted for their initiative to legalize marijuana. This put the group just 679 signatures short of the 124,046 signature requirement to put the initiative on the November ballot. However, under state law an initiative campaign who comes up short is given an additional 10 days to collect the needed signatures.
Today the group announced that they have submitted over 6,500 new signatures, nearly 10-times the amount needed.
“This submission validates what we’ve said all along: regulating marijuana is popular in Ohio,” said campaign spokesperson Tom Haren. “We’re looking forward to giving Ohio voters a chance to make their voices heard at the ballot this fall.”
According to polling released last month, 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.
If passed into law, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s 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%.
