Ohio may be next pot haven

COLUMBUS

Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected another marijuana legalization petition last week, saying the proposed Cannabis Control Amendment was not “fair and truthful.”

But don’t get too excited – the group, like many others that have submitted petition language in recent years, likely will fix the shortcomings and resubmit a new proposal in coming weeks.

If/when that happens, it would make an even dozen marijuana-related issues that have been submitted to the attorney general’s office over the past four years.

That list, so far, includes the Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment (rejected in August 2011), the Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment (rejected in September 2011), a resubmitted Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment (certified in October 2011), a resubmitted Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment (certified in January 2012), the Ohio Rights Group (certified in May 2013), Responsible Ohioans for Cannabis (rejected in August 2013), Medical Marijuana and Personal Use Amendment (rejected in February), End Ohio Cannabis Prohibition Act (rejected in February), the Marijuana Legalization Amendment (certified in March), Legalize Marijuana in Ohio (rejected in April), and Legalize Marijuana and Hemp in Ohio (certified this month).

Lack of money

Some of those efforts included early press conferences with backers touting the benefits of legalizing marijuana and outlining their plans to place the issue before voters. But none of those earlier submissions took shape or gained the financial resources needed to launch real campaigns for passage.

Only one of the more recent efforts appears to have the backing to make it to the ballot this year.

ResponsibleOhio’s Marijuana Legalization Amendment would create a commission to regulate production and sales of the drug, with 10 sites specified for growing marijuana plants, five for testing supplies for potency and safety and proposed tax rates of 5 percent for retail sales and 15 percent for growers and processors.

The ballot language also would allow anyone 21 or older to grow up to four marijuana plants at home, as long as they have obtained permits in advance and the growing area is secure.

The other ballots issues propose other means of regulating marijuana growth, processing and sales, with limits on the number of plants and numerous other provisions.

But, again, ResponsibleOhio is the only group fully up and running, with backers saying they already have 320,000-some signatures in hand (they need 305,000 valid names by early July to qualify for this year’s general election).

It’s a safe bet that the other efforts, barring some unforeseen infusion of big money contributions, aren’t going to make it to the ballot this year.

Add to all of this the increasing chatter among some lawmakers about the need to do something about marijuana-related laws before the issue is put to voters. They’d have to act pretty quickly, though — the Legislature would have about two months to come up with its own ballot issue on the topic.

What we’re left with is the increasing probability of a heated campaign later this year to allow Ohioans to use marijuana.

Since it’s an off-year election, with only one other statewide issue already on the ballot (redistricting reform), that means you should be ready to eat, sleep and breathe marijuana-related policy debates for the rest of this year.

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