State Issue 2: What to know about Ohio's recreational marijuana legalization ballot issue
Ohioans will vote on a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana on Nov. 7.
The statute, if passed, would legalize, regulate and tax adult-use marijuana in addition to the current medical cannabis program. It will be State Issue 2.
Here's everything you need to know. Have questions? Let us know and we will try to answer them.
What Ohioans need to know about November ballot issue to legalize recreational marijuana
Ohio voters will decide in November whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana.
The proposal from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would establish a new government program with rules for buying, selling, smoking and growing adult-use cannabis. The Nov. 7 ballot measure is an initiated statute, not a constitutional amendment, meaning the Legislature could make adjustments if it passes.
The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau compiled answers to reader questions and other information voters should know about the proposed law, known as State Issue 2.
Ohio Ballot Board approves ballot language for recreational marijuana law. Read it here
The proposal would allow Ohioans age 21 and older to buy and possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates. They could also grow up to six plants individually and no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults.
It's official: Ohio will vote on legalizing recreational marijuana in November
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol secured enough signatures to put its proposal before voters on the Nov. 7 ballot, Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office announced Wednesday. Advocates worked for over a year to hit this milestone as the GOP-controlled Legislature refused to go further than the current medical marijuana program.
See who is opposing the effort to legalize marijuana in Ohio
Ohio may vote on legalizing marijuana this November, and a group of children's hospitals, police and Republican politicos are lining up to oppose it.
Called Protect Ohio Workers and Families, the list of opponents announced Tuesday includes:
Law enforcement groups such as the Buckeye Sheriffs Association, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police
Veterans groups such as Ohio Veterans First.
Marijuana and the workplace: Will legalization in Ohio increase accidents or not?
Legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Ohio will mean more people consuming pot, research suggests.
And that worries most of the state's employers who fear that workers will show up to the job high or not at all. Many employers argue this would cause more accidents that lead to more on-the-job injuries if Issue 2 — a statue that would legalize, regulate and tax adult-use marijuana in addition to the current medical cannabis program — is approved by voters on Nov. 7.
Poll: Over 58% of Ohio voters support legalizing adult marijuana use
A USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll released Wednesday found 58.6% of respondents approve of allowing Ohioans over the age of 21 to buy and possess marijuana. About 35% opposed the issue, while 6% were undecided.
Who's behind Ohio Issue 2? Marijuana businesses that will benefit from it
The effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio is bankrolled by some of the state's biggest players in cannabis.
And starting next year − if Issue 2 passes − those companies could end up with the lion's share of licenses to sell products in the adult-use market.
How is recreational marijuana legalization working in other states?
On Nov. 7, Ohio could join 23 other states as the latest to legalize recreational marijuana, but some say it's difficult to judge how legalization has worked across the nation.
Group behind Ohio Issue 2 gets boost from marijuana industry ahead of Nov. 7 election
The group behind an effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio is easily outraising its opponents in the final stretch of the campaign − thanks largely to the industry itself.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol brought in nearly $1.2 million through Oct. 18, according to state campaign filings released Thursday. Nearly $700,000 of that came directly from cannabis companies that stand to benefit from an adult-use market, and several CEOs made individual donations as well.
Ohio Issue 2 wouldn't expunge marijuana convictions. Here's what it does instead
Illinois and several other states have used recreational marijuana programs to wipe criminal records and ease sentences for certain marijuana crimes. Ohio Issue 2, which voters will decide on Nov. 7, doesn't do that.
Instead, the proposed law would create a social equity program to support business owners who have been disproportionately affected by marijuana prohibition. But that part of the measure is controversial − and it ultimately doesn't guarantee the Legislature will pursue criminal justice reform if Issue 2 passes.
Read the ballot language for State Issue 2: Ohio's recreational marijuana legalization issue
Cannabis Proposed Ballot Language by Anthony Shoemaker on Scribd
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: State Issue 2: Ohio's ballot issue on marijuana legalization
