The state of Ohio has made medical marijuana legal, but now medical marijuana growers in the state are working to legalize recreational sales too and they want to do it through a statewide ballot measure this November.
According to photo of a petition page obtained by The Enquirer, the proposed constitutional amendment would allow anyone 21 and older to buy, consume and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to six marijuana plants.
Also existing medical marijuana businesses in the state would have first dibs on the recreational market beginning in July 2021. State regulators could decide to issue additional licenses.
Tom Haren, a Northeast Ohio attorney who has represented several Ohio marijuana businesses, and Mike Hartley, a Columbus-based Republican consultant, is working with supporters to make this happen. Supporters need to collect 442,958 signatures from registered voters before July 1 to qualify for the November ballot.
“We will have more to share when we file petitions with the attorney general’s office this week,” Haren said.
It should be noted that The Ohio Medical Cannabis Cultivators Association, which represents 15 Ohio companies, does not support the plan.
“OMCIA is entirely focused on bettering the medical program for patients and we are not at the time supporting an adult use initiative,” Associate Director Thomas Rosenberger told The Enquirer.
