LIMA — Ohio passed Issue 2 Tuesday night and legalized the use, as well as purchase and sale of cannabis for everyone over the age of 21.
The measure was passed at an almost 57 to 43 ratio and advocates are rejoicing while opponents are consolidating to form a response.
“Marijuana is no longer a controversial issue,” Tom Haren of the Committee to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol said. “Ohioans demonstrated this by passing State Issue 2 in a landslide. Ohioans are being extremely clear on the future they want for our state: adult-use marijuana legal and regulated.”
Corinne LaMarca of Jennifer’s Messengers said that she was disappointed with the results of the election and warned of the repercussions.
“This initiative written by the marijuana industry gives greater access to a dangerous and hallucinogenic drug that will be normalized and commercialized,” she said. “This will have a negative effect on families, businesses, our roadways, schools, churches and law enforcement, but especially our youth in all our communities who will think that pot is safe because it is legal. Please tell me why would we introduce anything to the public that produces so much harm?”
American Township voter Barry Smith voted no on Issue 2 saying he was worried it could lead to other drugs being legalized.
“I just think it’s not a good law,” he said. “I think it could lead to legalizing harder narcotics down the road.”
Professor Doug Berman of Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law said that he was not surprised to see the issue pass based on consistently favorable polls, but that he was surprised to see it pass with a higher percentage than Issue 1, which amended the state’s constitution to guarantee the right to individual reproductive control.
Ohio Republicans, including Sen. Matt Huffman (Lima), have been vocal since Tuesday night about their intention to fight both issues, but Berman expressed skepticism about their ability to fight a 14-point result.
“The 14-point spread was significantly more popular than what Donald Trump won the state by and is a sign that the voters probably would not like to see much more than tweaking and so what that might look like and where that takes the General Assembly remains to be seen,” he said. “I ultimately expect the economics to become more important, although I think they’ll also care about public safety and public health matters. I have certainly heard expressions of concern about home growth and where the tax revenue is supposed to go and those are things that that I think there will be constituencies that want to make sure the GA keeps paying attention.”
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has not yet certified the results of the election, but once he does, a newly created Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce will have nine months to complete rulemaking and licensing processes for non-medical cannabis, according to a Frequently Asked Questions page on the Ohio government website.
The statute will go into effect one month after the election and the state legislature will be able to amend it at any time to affect its date and provisions.
Issue 2 also will enact a 10% sales tax on all cannabis sales.
Ohio is the 24th state in the United States to legalize cannabis for non-medicinal use. The state legalized it for medicinal use in 2016.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
