Special to 1808Delaware
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 206,943 signatures in support of an initiated statute legalizing the adult use of marijuana to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office earlier this week.
The Secretary of State, in coordination with county-level Boards of Elections, will now begin the process of verifying the signatures. If at least 132,877 signatures are verified and the 44 county requirement is met, the statute will be presented to Ohio legislators for consideration.
“The success of our petition drive shows just how eager Ohioans are to end prohibition and legalize the adult use of marijuana,” said spokesman Tom Haren. “We look forward to receiving the results of the Secretary of State’s review, and are eager to begin working with legislators on this important issue.”
For consumers, the proposed law:
- Legalizes and regulates the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products to adults aged 21 and up.
- Legalizes home grow for adults aged 21 or older with a limit of 6 plants per person and 12 plants per household.
Haren believes everyone should support the robust regulatory and taxation system. While regular state and local sales taxes will also apply, included is a 10% cannabis tax rate on adult use sales that would be allocated as follows:
- 36% of the tax will support social equity and jobs programs – if passed, it is estimated this could generate $150 million or more annually for social equity and jobs programs in Ohio.
- 36% to provide funding for communities who host adult use cannabis dispensaries – if passed, it is estimated this could generate $150 million or more annually for the communities who have adult use dispensaries.
- 25% to fund education and treatment for individuals with addiction issues – if passed, this statute could generate $104 million or more annually to research and treat substance abuse in Ohio.
- 3% to the Division of Cannabis Control and Tax Commissioner fund to cover regulatory and administrative costs for overseeing the adult use cannabis industry.
“Eighteen states have already legalized cannabis for adult use, including our neighbor to the north,” stated Haren. “Ohio is behind the curve on this issue and can’t afford continued inaction.”
Once the local Boards of Elections validate the required signatures, and the Secretary of State Certifies them, the statute will be presented to the Ohio General Assembly who will have four months to consider the legislation. Should legislators opt not to pass the bill as is, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol can collect an additional 132,877 signatures to present the issue to Ohio voters on the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot.
