The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has certified a petition to expand legal cannabis in the state.
On Friday, August 20, the Office announced its certification of the revised petition which would add a chapter to the Ohio Revised Code to regulate adult-use cannabis.
The Office received the current version of the proposed statute, “An Act to Control and Regulate Adult Use Cannabis,” on August 13.
The Office rejected a previous version on August 5.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the current version would require the state to permit adults over 21 to use cannabis.
The statute would also require the state to regulate cannabis cultivation, processing, sales, purchases, possession, and home growing.
The Ohio Ballot Board will determine whether the proposal contains multiple laws or just one.
Once the Ballot Board certifies the petition, petitioners must collect enough registered voter signatures totaling at least three percent of the vote cast in the latest gubernatorial election.
The signatures must come from voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
The number in each county needs to equal at least 1.5 percent of the vote cast in the last gubernatorial election.
The Secretary of State must receive the petition no less than ten days before the commencement of any Ohio General Assembly session.
If the Secretary of State verifies that the petition has enough signatures, they will send it to the General Assembly when it convenes.
The General Assembly will then have four months to take action on the proposed law.
If the General Assembly passes the law, as-is or amended, it will be subject to referendum.
If the General Assembly decides to not pass the proposed law, passes an amended version, or does nothing with it, then petitioners may circulate a supplemental petition and submit the proposed law to voters in the next general election.
