Ohio’s Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bid Requires More Signatures

LOS ANGELES– Ohio voters could potentially see the issue of adult-use cannabis legalization on the November ballot, but campaign organizers are facing a final hurdle before achieving that goal.

The “Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol” campaign, which aims to legalize a recreational cannabis market in Ohio, has been given a 10-day window to secure approximately 700 valid signatures to qualify for the fall ballot, as confirmed by state officials on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the campaign submitted over 223,000 signatures to the Ohio secretary of state for review. However, the state recently announced that only 123,367 of these signatures were deemed valid, as stated in a letter from Secretary of State Frank LaRose to the campaign.

Under Ohio state law, the campaign now has a 10-day grace period to obtain “an additional 679 valid signatures,” Secretary LaRose stated in his letter.

According to Tom Haren, the spokesperson for the Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol campaign, this task should be relatively straightforward. Haren expressed confidence in their ability to secure the required signatures, saying, “Finding another 700 voters to sign a petition is going to be easy because a majority of Ohioans support our proposal to regulate and tax adult use cannabis.”

Should the campaign succeed in collecting the necessary signatures within the given timeframe, Ohio would become the third state to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2023, provided that the initiative qualifies for the ballot and garners majority approval from voters.

Earlier this year, Oklahoma voters rejected a recreational legalization measure during a March special election. Conversely, lawmakers in Delaware and Minnesota managed to pass adult-use cannabis bills that have since become law.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania has witnessed the reintroduction of a bipartisan legalization effort, enjoying the support of Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro. However, the bill’s prospects remain uncertain in a divided state Legislature.

In terms of medical cannabis, Ohio’s sales are projected to reach up to $575 million in 2023, according to the MJBiz Factbook, signaling the market’s growth and potential economic impact within the state.

As the Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol campaign races against the clock to secure additional signatures, all eyes are on Ohio to see whether adult-use cannabis legalization will find its way to the November ballot and potentially shape the state’s cannabis landscape.