Ohio Cannabis Legalization Question Approved for November Ballots

Ohio voters will decide whether to legalize cannabis for adult-use in the state in November. Last week, Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed the campaign had gathered enough signatures to put the issue on ballots.   

Late last month, advocates had fallen short of the signature goal but were able to gather an additional 679 valid signatures ahead of an August 4 deadline. In all, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol submitted 127,772 valid signatures.  

In a Facebook post, coalition spokesman Tom Haren said advocates “are grateful to the thousands of Ohioans” who backed the proposal and that the group is “excited” to bring the proposal to voters.  

Ohio voters in 2015 rejected a proposal by ResponsibleOhio to legalize both medical and adult-use cannabis in the state. That proposal was marred by concerns that the proposal would create a monopoly in the state’s cannabis industry.   

According to a study published this month by Ohio State University researchers, adult-use cannabis sales in the state could generate between $275 million and $403 million by the fifth year of operations. 

State lawmakers have also introduced legislation to enact the reforms, but that bill has not been introduced in the full House and remains in the chamber’s Finance Committee. It’s unlikely to see any movement before November’s vote.