Video above: Legal marijuana: Is Ohio next?
(WKBN) — Marijuana regulation is set to appear on Ohio’s 2023 election ballot after a coalition collected signatures from voters in support of it from every county in Ohio.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 222,198 signatures of Ohio voters from all 88 counties to the Ohio Secretary of State Wednesday, exceeding the requirements for the issue to appear on the November 7, 2023, election ballot.
Twenty-three states across the nation have enacted measures to regulate marijuana for
adult use, and the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol aims for Ohio to be the 24th.
“Our issue will authorize the possession and use of marijuana by adults 21 and over and
provide a framework for the state to ensure proper regulation and fair taxation,” said Coalition
spokesman Tom Haren.
Implementing best practices learned from the states that already regulate marijuana sales, the
citizen-initiated statute would authorize the Department of Commerce to regulate the industry
and impose a new 10% tax on adult-use marijuana sales, generating new tax revenue to the
state that will be reinvested into local communities throughout Ohio.
The next step is for the Ohio Secretary of State and local Boards of Election to verify the signatures. If the petitions are certified, the initiated statute will appear on the November
7, 2023 ballot.
