2023 Ohio Issue 2

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative, listed on the ballot as Issue 2,[1] is a ballot initiative for legalization of cannabis in the U.S. state of Ohio that will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2023. It was introduced in 2021, originally for the 2022 general ballot, then finally approved after it was announced it had received enough signatures to appear on the ballot in 2023 alongside the 2023 Ohio abortion initiative.

Issue 2
November 7, 2023 (2023-11-07)
Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative
Elections in Ohio
Federal government
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
State government
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Governor elections
Secretary of State elections
Attorney General elections
State Auditor elections
State Treasurer elections
State Supreme Court elections
State House elections
State Senate elections
Ballot measures
2004
Issue 1
2011
Issue 2
2018
Issue 1
2022
Issue 1
2023
Akron
Mayoral elections
Cincinnati
Mayoral elections
City Council elections
Cleveland
Mayoral elections
City Council elections
Columbus
Mayoral elections
Cuyahoga County
County executive elections
County Council elections
Toledo
Mayoral elections

History

State law in Ohio allows citizens to bring initiatives before the state legislature. With enough signatures, a group can force the legislature to consider an initiative, and with more signatures can send it to voters on the November ballot.[2] In Ohio, a group called the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol brought the initiative to the Ohio Secretary of State to be a 2022 ballot initiative. It was approved on August 30, 2021, for signature gathering.[3][4] Over 200,000 signatures were submitted to the state at the end of 2021.[5][6]

A lawsuit over filing deadlines resulted in the Ohio Secretary of State and the state legislature agreeing the initiative's signatures collected in 2021 and 2022 may be applied toward a 2023 ballot deadline.[7]

In July 2023, on an initial count of valid signatures, supporters came about 650 short. On August 3, more than ten times the remaining number required to validate the initiative for the November ballot were turned in to the secretary of state.[8] On August 16, 2023, the Secretary of State confirmed that the initiative would appear as a referendum ballot on November 7, 2023.[9]

Provisions

Adults age 21 and up may purchase, possess and consume marijuana. Home grow of up to six plants per person or 12 plants per residence is allowed. The Division of Cannabis Control is established within the Ohio Department of Commerce to regulate commerce. Cannabis testing laboratories and supply chain are to be regulated.[6]

The initiative also specifies how tax revenues under the new law would be spent. Thirty-six percent (36%) would be designated for "social equity and jobs" programs, estimated to be as high as $150 million per year. Thirty-six percent (36%) would go to communities that have dispensaries. Twenty-five percent (25%) would go to education and addiction treatment programs, and 3% would be used for regulatory and administrative costs.[10]

The sponsor of the initiative, Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, is an affiliate of Marijuana Policy Project.[11]

Politics

Ohio passed medical cannabis (along with decriminalized cannabis) in 2016 under Ohio House Bill 523. As of 2022, recreational cannabis is still not legal in the state.[12]

In early 2022, pro-cannabis advocates gathered signatures to send recreational legalization measure to the state legislature. In April, the Senate president publicly announced that he would not bring the measure up for a vote. Under Ohio law, advocates now have a second opportunity to gather more signatures, and if they gather enough, the measure will go on the ballot in November. “The recreational cannabis petition collected 136,000 verified signatures, enough to get considered by the General Assembly, but would require an additional 132,877 signatures to proceed to the ballot.”[12]

The largest organized opposition comes from the Center for Christian Virtue, which believes legalized cannabis will produce negative impacts on neighborhoods and society's drug addiction problems. The main proponent behind the ballot initiative is the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), which dismissed the Center for Christian Virtue's opposition as "Prohibition-style talking points from 20 years ago."[12]

Endorsements
Yes
U.S. Representatives
State House members
  • Jamie Callender, state representative from the 57th district (2019–present; 1997–2004) (Republican)[14]
  • Ron Ferguson, state representative from the 96th district (2021–present) (Republican)[14]
  • Michele Grim, state representative from the 43rd district (2023–present) (Democrat)[15]
  • Allison Russo, Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2022–present) and state representative from the 7th district (2023–present) and the 24th district (2019–2022) (Democrat)[16]
  • Casey Weinstein, state representative from the 34th district (2023–present) and the 37th district (2019–2022) (Democrat)[17]
Local officials
Individuals
Organizations
Newspapers
No
Statewide officials
  • Mike DeWine, 70th Governor of Ohio (2019–present), 50th Attorney General of Ohio (2011–2019), former U.S. Senator from Ohio (1995–2007), 59th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (1991–1994), and former U.S. Representative from OH-7 (1983–1991) (Republican)[13]
State Senators
State House members
  • Sara Carruthers, state representative from the 47th district (2023–present) and the 51st district (2019–2022) (Republican)[16]
  • Jennifer Gross, state representative from the 45th district (2023–present) and the 52nd district (2021–2022) (Republican)[16]
  • Phil Plummer, state representative from the 39th district (2023–present) and the 40th district (2019–2022) (Republican)[16]
  • Bill Seitz, Majority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2017–present), state representative from the 30th district (2017–present; 2001–2007), and former state senator from the 8th district (2007–2016) (Republican)[24]
Labor unions
Organizations
Declined to endorse
Organizations

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin
of error		 For Against Undecided
Baldwin Wallace University Community Research Institute October 9–11, 2023 569 (RV) ± 4.5% 57% 35% 8%
Fallon Research August 22–25, 2023 501 (RV) ± 4.37% 59% 32% 9%
FM3 Research August 14–23, 2023 843 (LV) ± 3.5% 59% 36% 5%
USA Today/Suffolk University July 9–12, 2023 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 58.6% 34.8% 6.6%
  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

See also

References
  1. Smith, Julie Carr (August 24, 2023). "Backers blast approved ballot language for Ohio's fall abortion amendment as misleading". Associated Press. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  2. BeMiller, Haley. "Ohio legal marijuana advocates submit 29K more signatures for proposed law". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  3. "Group seeks legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio". Associated Press. July 27, 2021. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021 – via WXIX-TV.
  4. Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2022), Ballotpedia
  5. BeMiller, Haley (December 20, 2021). "Ohio marijuana legalization measure secures 206K voter signatures for proposed law". The Columbus Dispatch – via Yahoo!.
  6. "The Just Like Alcohol campaign submits signatures to state, one step closer to getting recreational marijuana on Ohio ballot next year", Cleveland.com, December 20, 2021
  7. Karen Kasler (May 13, 2022). "Ohio voters won't decide on initiative to legalize marijuana until at least next year". The Statehouse News Bureau – via WKSU.
  8. "Group looking to legalize marijuana in Ohio submit additional signatures". WTVG. August 3, 2023.
  9. "Ohio effort to legalize recreational marijuana gets enough signatures for November ballot". The Hill. August 16, 2023.
  10. Slawson, Jeff (2022-02-01). "Fight to regulate marijuana like alcohol makes way to house floor". WOIO CBS 19. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  11. "Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  12. "Adult-use cannabis advocates confident Ohio is ready for recreational nod". Financial Regulation News. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  13. Jaeger, Kyle (August 18, 2023). "GOP Congressman Says He'll Vote For Legal Marijuana On Ohio Ballot, As Governor Calls The Reform A 'Real Mistake'". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  14. Trau, Morgan (August 22, 2023). "Ohio Republicans split on marijuana legalization and could repeal proposal the day after it passes". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  15. Grim, Michele (October 24, 2023). "To the editor: State Rep. Grim backs Issues 1 & 2". The Blade. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  16. Kreemer, Avery (September 17, 2023). "Recreational marijuana: What both sides are saying about Ohio's Issue 2". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  17. Donaldson, Sarah (September 5, 2023). "If it passes on the ballot, Ohio lawmakers may alter recreational marijuana law". WDTN. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  18. Houmard, Celeste (October 18, 2023). "Cleveland mayor speaks to Fox 8 News, endorses Issue 1". FOX 8. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  19. Other Voices (October 11, 2023). "Ohio voters are ready to vote 'yes' on Issue 2". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  20. Herrington, A.J. (August 16, 2023). "Ohio Will Vote On Recreational Marijuana Legalization In November". Forbes. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  21. Fox, Morgan (August 21, 2023). "Major Marijuana Legalization Vote this November". NORML. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  22. Editorial Board (October 15, 2023). "Yes on Issue 2, legalizing recreational marijuana: endorsement editorial". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  23. Kasler, Karen (October 15, 2023). "Ohio's Senate president says he thinks lawmakers will change the marijuana law if voters pass Issue 2". WOUB. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  24. DeNatale, Dave; Haidet, Ryan (October 3, 2023). "Ohio Issue 2: Here's what you need to know about recreational marijuana legalization initiative". WKYC. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  25. Donaldson, Sarah (August 30, 2023). "Who is campaigning against recreational marijuana in Ohio, and how?". WOWK-TV. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  26. "The Rundown: Issue 1 fails, but we continue the fight to defeat abortion in November". Center for Christian Virtue. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  27. Sean McDonnell (October 2, 2023). "3 Ohio businesses groups oppose ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, but proponents push back on claims". Cleveland.com.
  28. Boney, Stan (September 22, 2023). "Organizations issue statements opposing Ohio Issue Two". WKBN-TV. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  29. "Ohio Farm Bureau Opposes Issue 2". Morning AgClips. October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  30. Holmes, Debbie (September 27, 2023). "Issues 1 and 2 expected to draw higher voter turnout in off-year election". WOSU. Retrieved October 2, 2023.

Further reading
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