COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters have approved a ballot proposal legalizing recreational marijuana. Republican legislative leaders are expected to weigh revisiting aspects of the proposal passed Tuesday.
Ohio becomes the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes.
Under the new law, adults 21 and over may buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and grow plants at home. A 10% tax on purchases will go toward administrative costs, addiction treatment, municipalities with dispensaries, and social equity and jobs programs.
The measure was an effort put forth by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol. When campaigning, the group said the measure “models the best practices of 23 states to create a system that regulates and taxes marijuana just like alcohol.”
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and some of the state’s largest business and manufacturing organizations opposed the measure, citing safety concerns.
Opponents argued that Issue 2 “legalizes an addiction-for-profit industry at the expense of our families and poses substantial risks to the public health and safety of all Ohioans, especially children and adolescents, given marijuana’s high potential for abuse.”
When will recreational weed be legal in Ohio?
The measure will take effect 30 days after Election Day. It also goes into a rule-making and planning phase.
Issue 2 creates the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce. The division will be tasked with ironing out the details of how and where marijuana will be sold in Ohio.
The Division of Cannabis Control will have nine months to create a plan and start issuing the first licenses.