A new initiative petition to amend the Ohio Constitution to legalize marijuana was rejected by the Ohio Attorney General on April 24, 2015. The petition, called “Legalize Marijuana in Ohio” was proposed by the group Better for Ohio. The Attorney General found the summary of the proposed amendment was not fair and truthful. Specifically, the proposal misstated the amount of tax that marijuana sales would produce for a municipal and township government stabilization fund. Also, the summary states that persons 21 and over may share marijuana accessories with another person over 21, but does not mention an exception for younger medical marijuana patients. See Cleveland. com, One marijuana legalization effort faces setback, but others are in the pipeline.
Better for Ohio’s web site states that, “This was about creating a version of the initiative that is Better for Ohio, but more importantly, a version that will get more votes than the RO [Responsible Ohio] initiative if both are on the ballot.” Better for Ohio’s version will allow forty grow sites instead of Responsible Ohio’s ten, and a specified percentage of the grow sites must be owned by Ohioans. Under the Better for Ohio plan, local communities that allow dispensaries and retail stores will receive more tax money from marijuana sales. Another difference is out-of-state residents may only purchase one-quarter ounce of marijuana. Better for Ohio also aims to make home growing easier. See Better for Ohio’s website.
For a summary of other marijuana proposals, see Cleveland.com, Current Status of Ohio’s Marijuana Legalization Proposals. Responsible Ohio’s Proposal has been certified by the Ohio Attorney General and the Ballot Board. Responsible Ohio is currently collecting signatures to get their issue on the ballot in November 2015.
