It’s hard to open a newspaper or flip on the television or radio without reading or hearing

It’s hard to open a newspaper or flip on the television or radio without reading or hearing something about the Republicans and Democrats who want to be president – even more so, since Ohio’s own Gov. John Kasich is in the mix and, by some accounts, on the rise.

We’ll have more than a year of such chatter, with increasing numbers of ads and mailings and robo-calls as scheduled debates, the 2016 primaries and the general election approach.

But Ohioans won’t have to spend all of their time in the next 21/2 months or so deluged with such rhetoric, thanks to the folks over at ResponsibleOhio and their quest to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational uses.

Despite some disagreements between the group and Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted on signature totals, ResponsibleOhio has qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot, solidifying weeks of big-money campaigning by those who support and those who oppose the plan.

(There’s an investigation under way concerning ResponsibleOhio’s signature gathering process, but Husted told reporters that process won’t affect the ballot issue – the marijuana proposal will be put before voters, whether wrongdoing is uncovered or not.)

THREE STATE ISSUES

ResponsibleOhio is actually the last of three issues that will appear on the statewide ballot.

The first, finalized by lawmakers late last year, would revamp the way Ohio draws its legislative districts, establishing a new board to oversee the process and limiting the time frame disputed maps would remain in effect.

The language is the result of a late-night compromise OK’d by the Ohio House and Senate that capped years of debate about ways to reduce real or perceived gerrymandering.

I’ve heard very little vocal opposition to the proposal to date. Barring voter confusion on the ballot language, it’s probably a safe bet to pass.

The second statewide issue, OK’d by lawmakers just before their summer recess, would block groups from using the initiative-petition process to pursue constitutional amendments granting monopolies for commercial economic interests.

Proponents believe the language would stop ResponsibleOhio’s marijuana legalization plan from taking effect, though we’re likely to see legal action if both issues pass.

And then there’s ResponsibleOhio, which has proposed a structure to regulate marijuana production and sales in the state. State Issue 3 outlines the sites where marijuana could be grown, tax rates for retail and wholesale purchases and provisions allowing limited plant cultivation in users’ homes.

There will be ample debate in coming weeks about the benefits and drawbacks of the plan, with millions of dollars in spending by the campaigns involved to sway voters’ opinions.

Proponents have put their spending in the ballpark of $20 million or more. That’s not counting campaign costs for opponents.

In an off-year election, with little else of statewide interest on the ballot, that’s going to mean an onslaught of marijuana advertising for the voting public from now until Nov. 3.

And don’t worry: If you get sick of all of the pot talk, you can always redirect your attention to the 2016 presidential race.

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.