Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose issued a statement today (8/16/23) that he will direct the boards of elections to place the proposed marijuana law on the November 7, 2023 General Election ballot.

An initiative that would legalize marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older will be on the November ballot in Ohio. 

Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Ballot Initiative

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is the group behind the ballot initiative that could bring big changes to the state. If Ohioans vote yes on this issue, it would “legalize and regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products to adults ages 21 and up”. (Just Like Alcohol, 2023). Adults 21 and over will be able to purchase marijuana from licensed dispensaries and will also have the option to grow their own cannabis at home. Home cultivation will have a limit of six plants per person and no more than 12 plants per residence.

The types of products that can be legally sold under the law include “plant material and seeds, live plants, clones, extracts, drops, lozenges, oils, tinctures, edibles, patches, smoking or combustible product, vaporization products, beverages, pills, capsules, suppositories, oral pouches, oral strips, oral and topical sprays, salves, lotions or similar cosmetic products, and inhalers”. (Just Like Alcohol, 2023). 

Possession and Potency Limits

Much like the medical marijuana program, there will be possession and potency limits. No person shall possess more than two and a half ounces of any marijuana product, except for extracts. Marijuana extracts will have a possession limit of fifteen grams. The marijuana flower may not exceed a 35% THC limit, whereas extracts will have a THC limit of 90% (Just Like Alcohol, 2023). The possession limits also apply to transferring marijuana products from person to person and traveling with marijuana products.

The legal sale of marijuana in licensed dispensaries will bring much-needed tax money to Ohio. The language of the initiative states that there will be a 10% excise tax added to marijuana purchases. The tax money will be divided and distributed to specific areas. According to their website, Just Like Alcohol notes the tax money will be divided as follows: 

  1. “Social Equity and Jobs Programs (36%) – potential to generate an estimated $150 million or more annually for social equity and jobs programs in Ohio, making this one of the most robust social equity provisions of any cannabis law in the country
  2. Funding for Dispensary Host Communities (36%) – potential to generate $150 million or more annually for the communities who have adult-use cannabis dispensaries, making this one of the largest contributions to communities in Ohio history
  3. Addiction Treatment and Education (25%) – potential to generate $104 million or more annually to research and treat substance abuse in Ohio, one of the leading causes of death in Ohio
  4. Regulatory and Administrative Costs (3%) – a small portion would go to the Division of Cannabis Control to fund the regulatory and administrative costs of overseeing the adult-use cannabis industry in Ohio” (Just Like Alcohol, 2023). 

Citizens Want Right To Vote on Issue

Just Like Alcohol has fought a long battle to get on the ballot. With the final effort last month, the citizens of Ohio made it clear they want the right to vote on the marijuana legalization issue. Ohio rejected a measure to legalize marijuana in 2015, but in 2016 implemented a medical marijuana program. As of June 2023, there are 176,109 Ohioans actively participating in the medical marijuana program. Experts expect that August’s special election turnout bodes well for a good turnout to vote in November.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7th. Whether you vote early or on voting day, your vote can make a big difference in Ohio’s future. Make sure your voter’s registration is active and to find your polling location go to https://voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx.

Resources:

Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Website: https://justlikealcohol.com/

FULL TEXT OF THE LAW: https://justlikealcohol.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Full-Text-of-the-Law.pdf
Frank LaRose Statement: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/0a/df/8ab6dc124815b02750be33080ec9/canabis-letter-2.p

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Author

  • Mary Alleger

    Daughter of a Vietnam veteran and single mom. I have been active in cannabis since 2013, starting as a volunteer signature gatherer for Ohio Rights Group and their Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment ballot initiative. I have stayed active in my Advocacy by working on different initiatives and helping others advocate at the Statehouse with our legislators. I have worked in the retail space of the industry since 2018 and just finished my first year at the University of Maryland Baltimore for the Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics Master of Science program.

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1 COMMENT

  1. […] Issue 2 proposes that Ohioans age 21 and older may buy and possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates at dispensaries. They could also grow it at home (up to six plants per person, 12 in a household). Dispensaries would charge a 10 percent tax, which would be distributed into 4 categories: Social Equity and Jobs Programs (36%), Funding for Dispensary Host Communities (36%), Addiction Treatment and Education (25%), Regulatory and Administrative Costs (3%). Read more.  […]

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