Ohio is voting on whether to legalize recreational marijuana

While much of the attention on the abortion rights amendment has been on the ballot in Ohio, voters are being asked another big question: whether they want to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The proposed statute is not that different from those in the 23 states that have passed laws legalizing marijuana. It would allow Ohioans 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and would allow people to grow up to six plants individually, but no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults.

Products would be taxed at 10 percent, with proceeds going to administrative costs, addiction treatment programs, municipalities with pharmacies and a social equity and employment program. A study found that legalizing marijuana would add about $260 million annually to Ohio’s economy.

This is evident from a poll conducted by Ohio Northern University showed support for marijuana legalization, reaching about 65 percent.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Ohio since 2016, and nearby states such as Michigan and New York have recently legalized recreational marijuana. (Medical marijuana is also legal in 37 other states.) Ohio has also historically been more tolerant of marijuana use than most states. A type of seed known as “Meigs County Gold,” grown near Ohio University in Athens, has long been a successful cash crop for the southeastern part of the state.

Political observers say putting both abortion and recreational marijuana on the ballot, without a party candidate, could help people from both parties agree on these measures.

“The fact that these are issue elections, and no party is officially tied to any of the ballot measures, probably helps both issues,” said Robert Alexander, the founding director of the Institute for Civics and Public Policy at Ohio Northern University. , said in a recent interview in The New Republic.