Recreational pot nearing enough signatures to force lawmakers’ hands
A direct-democracy attempt to force the state legislature to act on recreational marijuana will have enough signatures by the month’s end to set a plan in motion, an organizer projected Friday.
Ohio attorney Thomas Haren, a representative of the “Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol,” said he expects that enough signatures will be gathered to move a proposal forward that would allow for adult use, sale, and possession of marijuana in Ohio.
“We think that marijuana reform is popular,” he said at a panel hosted by the Ohio State University law school’s
Drug Enforcement and Policy Center.
“It’s not a bipartisan issue. It’s a nonpartisan issue.”
If state officials determine the coalition gathered the required 133,000 valid signatures, lawmakers in the Ohio General Assembly get four months to act on the proposal. If lawmakers fail, organizers must gather more signatures to send the proposal to a popular vote by the people at the next general election.
The Ohio Ballot Board gave organizers the green light in late August to start gathering signatures.
The proposal allows for the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana or 15 grams of marijuana extract. Adult Ohioans could purchase marijuana at retail locations or grow two plants at home (four if there are two adults living in the household).
Marijuana has reached a “tipping point” in the U.S. and the time to climb aboard was yesterday, according to Rep. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, a lead sponsor of House Democrats’ effort on recreational marijuana.
Moving parts
Alongside Haren, there are three key items to watch regarding marijuana policy in Ohio.
For one, House Democrats Weinstein and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, introduced legislation of their own, with key differences from the initiated statute proposal. Their bill contains an expungement program, allows possession of up to five ounces of marijuana, and others.
The legislation, introduced in August, has yet to receive its first hearing from the House Finance Committee.
For two, House Republicans have announced a proposal of their own that’s fairly similar to the Democrats’ plan.
They have yet to formally introduce a bill.
Thirdly, a bipartisan group of Ohio Senators earlier this month proposed a broad expansion of the current medical marijuana program. Their bill would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana whenever they “reasonably” believe a patient might benefit.