A group attempting to legalize adult-use marijuana in Ohio on Monday received a thumbs-up from the state to begin the signature-gathering process in order to place their ballot question before voters next year.
The state Ballot Board certified the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s proposed ballot measure as a single subject, according to a news release.
That clears the way for the group to begin collecting the 132,887 signatures of registered voters needed to force state lawmakers to consider enacting their proposed law.
If lawmakers decline to enact the measure, then the campaign can gather an additional 132,887 signatures to qualify for the 2022 election, The (Cincinnati) Enquirer reported.
The proposal would add 40 new marijuana cultivation licenses and 50 more retail permits, and more could become available after two years of a functioning market, depending on demand, The Enquirer reported.
Under the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s proposed measure, existing medical cannabis operators “could automatically get licenses for the recreational side,” according the newspaper.
State lawmakers are already weighing a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana, but it’s unclear whether the bill has enough support to pass.