PotPhoto1

Ohio Rights Group and Better for Ohio, groups vying to legalize marijuana at the ballot box, have decided to wait until 2016 to put the issue before voters. In this photo, Ken Thomas, left, of Columbus signs Ohio Rights Group's petition while Chris Hughes explains the issue to him.

(Laura Bischoff/Dayton Daily News)

Legalizing marijuana

Several proposals are in the works to legalize marijuana in Ohio.

for an update on the status of those efforts.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two groups vying to legalize marijuana will not make the ballot in November, group leaders said, clearing the field for one marijuana ballot issue this year.

Better for Ohio and Ohio Rights Group will not have the more than 305,591 signatures of Ohio voters required by July 1 to qualify for the November ballot, group leaders said. Both groups plan to continue collecting signatures for 2016.

Better for Ohio's amendment would legalize marijuana for adults over age 21 and medical patients, while Ohio Rights Group's amendment would legalize marijuana for medical use and allow farmers to grow industrial hemp.

That leaves a third group, ResponsibleOhio, poised to be the only one with a marijuana issue on the ballot. ResponsibleOhio announced Tuesday it had collected more than 550,000 signatures and planned to submit them for the November ballot. ResponsibleOhio would limit commercial growing to 10 sites promised to campaign investors.

Better for Ohio was proposed as an alternative to ResponsibleOhio. Better for Ohio Chairman Ed Howard said ResponsibleOhio's amendment will fail in November without a challenge from his group.

"If they do objective polling, they're going to find the voter demographic is skewed toward people less likely to vote for the initiative," Howard said. "That, combined with their cartel problem -- it's not going to happen."

Better for Ohio's amendment mirrors ResponsibleOhio's but would expand the number of commercial growing sites to 40 and allow all Ohioans to invest in them. Howard said more than 60,000 signatures had been collected since early May.

State lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment that would prevent ResponsibleOhio's plan from being added to the Ohio Constitution, but legislation has not been introduced.

ResponsibleOhio Executive Director Ian James confirmed Wednesday that the group will submit signatures by July 1 for the November 2015 ballot.



John Pardee of Ohio Rights Group said the organization is bringing on new leaders and focusing on educating state lawmakers about the benefits of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp.

Two other groups are working on legalization amendments for 2016: Ohioans to End Prohibition and Responsible Ohioans for Cannabis.