The amendment seeks to legalize marijuana for medical and personal use by adults 21 and older.
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Ohio voters will decide in November whether to legalize marijuana use for treating illnesses and for getting high.
It would also authorize the construction and operation of 10 marijuana-growing farms and licensed distribution shops in the Buckeye State.
“It certainly can’t be a monopoly when these ten growers have to compete against each other and frankly must meet the demand of the consumer, because if they don’t, the state adds more licenses”, James said. “By changing marijuana regulations in December, we will offer thoughtful treatment to ill Ohioans, provide the regional towns money and begin a new business with unlimited financial advancement possibilities”.
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted ruled that proponents gathered enough valid signatures, more than 320,000, to earn a spot on the ballot, Cleveland.com reported.
A decision whether to legalize marijuana will be in the hands of Ohio voters in November.
It is the constitutional and statutory duty of the Secretary of State to verify and certify signatures submitted for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, initiated statutes and legislative referendum.
Smith said, “We need to protect the founding document…For people to write themselves a monopoly, and profiteer off the Ohio Constitution, is just appalling”.
Putting limits on who can grow and sell marijuana will maintain its quality, according to George. He was joined at a press conference by Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Parker and a representative of the county health board, who said addiction is expensive and legalization could make it worse, although the jury is still out on those questions in states that have already legalized.
Taking the idea of marijuana legalization to its next logical step, ResponsibleOhio is now working on another life-alternating initiative, one that would allow for any past marijuana convictions to be expunged from their criminal record.
To that effect, a competing organization, Ohioans to End Prohibition, is circulating a petition to put a referendum modeled after Colorado’s legalization language on the ballot in November 2016, to coincide with the presidential election. Medical marijuana will not be taxed and will be provided on a needs-based fee system.
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Responsible Ohio has attracted more than the usual criticism of marijuana legalization because its initiative would create a cannabis cultivation cartel consisting of the amendment’s main financial backers.
