Ohio marijuana issue qualifies for November ballot

COLUMBUS — Elections officials have verified the requisite signatures submitted by ResponsibleOhio to qualify the group’s marijuana-legalization amendment for the November ballot.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted announced the outcome this afternoon, certifying the signatures of 320,267 registered voters who signed petitions to place the issue before voters.

A total of 305,591 signatures were required.

The group initially submitted more than 695,000 signatures to the secretary of state, but elections officials validated only 276,082 of them, leaving a shortfall of about nearly 30,000.

ResponsibleOhio then had an extra 10 days to collect additional signatures, submitting another 95,500-plus. Husted certified 44,185 of those names, giving the group enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.