Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Indians fans won't be the only ones who will be humming "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Friday afternoon. Petitioners for two separate efforts to legalize marijuana will also be at Progressive Field looking for support for their proposals to change Ohio's constitution.
ResponsibleOhio and Ohioans To End Prohibition each are collecting signatures from registered voters. The Tribe game with a crowd of more than 40,000 fans offers a chance for each group to get a lot of signatures on their petitions.
ResponsibleOhio has already been cleared by the Ohio Ballot Board and the attorney general to gather signatures toward getting on the ballot. It has been collecting names for a few weeks.
Its proposal, which ReponsibleOhio hopes to have on the November ballot, would establish a legal marijuana industry in which Ohioans over age 21 could purchase marijuana for recreational and medical uses from retail outlets licensed by the state. It would allow for some home growing of marijuana, but would limit growth for retail sales to 10 regulated sites.
Ian James, ResponsibleOhio's executive director, said petitioners have collected about 100,000 signatures toward the 305,591 valid signatures needed to get on the ballot.
That total is equal to 10 percent of the vote in the 2014 gubernatorial contest. Those signatures must be gathered from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, and in each of 44 counties, the total gathered must amount to 5 percent of the 2014 gubernatorial vote locally.
James said the goal is to hit that 5 percent threshold in about 65 counties and collect 700,000 or more signatures.
They must be submitted to the Ohio secretary of state by July to qualify for the November ballot.
Ohioans to End Prohibition is in the beginning stages of its effort. It is trying to collect 1,000 signatures it needs to get to the review process with the attorney general and Ohio Ballot Board that ResponsibleOhio's issue has already cleared.
OTEP began collecting signatures earlier this week in Cincinnati during festivities surrounding opening day for the Cincinnati Reds. It is targeting the November 2016 ballot.
OTEP's proposal differs from ResponsibleOhio's. While both would open the door for personal use, OTEP's would allow for more widespread growing of marijuana.
It would target 40 percent of its tax revenue to local governments. The remainder would be split among drug education and addiction treatment, public pension plans, the Ohio School Facilities Commission and research, including research into development of hemp products.
The industry would be controlled by a new division in the Department of Commerce that would be similar to the current Division of Liquor Control.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Backers of marijuana legalization efforts in Ohio hope to score support at Cleveland Indians home opener | cleveland.com
Author: Robert Higgs
Contact: Posts - Robert Higgs, Northeast Ohio Media Group Columbus bureau chief | cleveland.com
Photo Credit: Elaine Thompson
Website: Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
ResponsibleOhio and Ohioans To End Prohibition each are collecting signatures from registered voters. The Tribe game with a crowd of more than 40,000 fans offers a chance for each group to get a lot of signatures on their petitions.
ResponsibleOhio has already been cleared by the Ohio Ballot Board and the attorney general to gather signatures toward getting on the ballot. It has been collecting names for a few weeks.
Its proposal, which ReponsibleOhio hopes to have on the November ballot, would establish a legal marijuana industry in which Ohioans over age 21 could purchase marijuana for recreational and medical uses from retail outlets licensed by the state. It would allow for some home growing of marijuana, but would limit growth for retail sales to 10 regulated sites.
Ian James, ResponsibleOhio's executive director, said petitioners have collected about 100,000 signatures toward the 305,591 valid signatures needed to get on the ballot.
That total is equal to 10 percent of the vote in the 2014 gubernatorial contest. Those signatures must be gathered from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, and in each of 44 counties, the total gathered must amount to 5 percent of the 2014 gubernatorial vote locally.
James said the goal is to hit that 5 percent threshold in about 65 counties and collect 700,000 or more signatures.
They must be submitted to the Ohio secretary of state by July to qualify for the November ballot.
Ohioans to End Prohibition is in the beginning stages of its effort. It is trying to collect 1,000 signatures it needs to get to the review process with the attorney general and Ohio Ballot Board that ResponsibleOhio's issue has already cleared.
OTEP began collecting signatures earlier this week in Cincinnati during festivities surrounding opening day for the Cincinnati Reds. It is targeting the November 2016 ballot.
OTEP's proposal differs from ResponsibleOhio's. While both would open the door for personal use, OTEP's would allow for more widespread growing of marijuana.
It would target 40 percent of its tax revenue to local governments. The remainder would be split among drug education and addiction treatment, public pension plans, the Ohio School Facilities Commission and research, including research into development of hemp products.
The industry would be controlled by a new division in the Department of Commerce that would be similar to the current Division of Liquor Control.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Backers of marijuana legalization efforts in Ohio hope to score support at Cleveland Indians home opener | cleveland.com
Author: Robert Higgs
Contact: Posts - Robert Higgs, Northeast Ohio Media Group Columbus bureau chief | cleveland.com
Photo Credit: Elaine Thompson
Website: Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
