COLUMBUS – Another marijuana legalization measure has cleared an initial hurdle on its way to the ballot, likely in 2016.
Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office Wednesday certified that the petition for the proposed Cannabis Control Amendment to the Ohio Constitution from the group Ohioans to End Prohibition contained both the necessary 1,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters and a “fair and truthful” summary of the proposal.
The measure is one of several being proposed for voters to decide. This one does not limit growing sites to specific individuals designated by the amendment. Individuals over 21 will be allowed to grow up to six plants for noncommercial use.
DeWine had previously rejected the amendment because the summary was not a fair and truthful statement of the proposed amendment.
Under the Cannabis Control Amendment, farmers will be allowed to grow industrial hemp, employers would be prohibited from terminating a medical marijuana patient for testing positive for marijuana use, and local governments will have the option of banning commercial marijuana businesses.
The Ohio Ballot Board will have to decide if the amendment contains a single issue or multiple issues.
If the board signs off on it, the backers would have to collect petition signatures for each issue from the number of registered voters in each of 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties that is equal to 5 percent of the total votes cast in the county for governor in the last election.
The total number of signatures must also equal 10 percent of the total vote cast for governor statewide.