Photo by Katheirne Hitt.

The conversation around marijuana legalization is changing, and to acclimate, Legalize Ohio 2016 and its parent organization, Ohioans to End Prohibition (OTEP), are restructuring and working with other advocacy groups around the state.

“We have organized, and we are stronger than before,” said Jake Cabrera, Campaign Director for Legalize Ohio 2016. “I think it’s quite impressive with the budget we have had, that we’re pushing forward. The other proposals and other things that have popped in the landscape, they’re not a definite. We have a viable amendment in the field.”

Last year a constitutional amendment, backed by ResponsibleOhio, failed overwhelmingly, attempting to grant rights to marijuana cultivation to a select group of investors. The concept varied greatly from those applied in other states, and many voters were put off by its exclusivity.

This year’s initiative takes an entirely different approach, said Cabrera. Legalize Ohio 2016 and OTEP are collaborating with other efforts around Ohio to broaden their base and bring all of the advocates under one umbrella.

“Basically everyone that has the same type of goals in mind and are working toward the same issue, coming together as one voice to be heard much louder around the state,” Cabrera said. “We’ve started for the grassroots effort of contacting every organization and association we could think of.”

Legalization efforts come from a spectrum of different voices and perspectives. A Quinnipiac University poll found last year that 84 percent of Ohioans are in support of legalizing marijuana for medical use.

While some groups advocate solely for the legal medical use of marijuana, Legalize Ohio 2016 and NORML advocate for its general legalization for recreational use. Cabrera said this difference is something they are coping with in order to achieve the overall goal.

“It’s just a disagreement on how do we get there and how do we get it done and an understanding that sometimes, with some processes, you have to make certain steps to get that end result,” he said. “You can’t just jump there.”

Cassandra Young, President Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at Ohio State University said many student advocates are coming from a social justice reform angle.

“When I talk about cannabis, almost all agree that we should be taking a less criminal and more public health approach to it,” Young said. “I think that’s indicative of the fact that this generation is just very open to changing the cannabis laws and very frustrated with the current laws.”

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￼Young said that in her communication with people on campus, she’s found a majority express a desperation for policy change, whether it’s a sociology student talking about criminal justice or a business student interested in the potential legal cannabis industry.

OSU’s SSDP works as part of Legalize Ohio 2016’s outreach program, hosting forums and gathering signatures for the current ballot initiative.

So far 80,000 signatures have been counted out of the 305,000 required, but Young said all the books have yet to be collected.

For more information, visit www.legalizeohio2016.org.