Medical Marijuana

Marijuana Policy Project's Ohio medical marijuana legalization amendment was certified Friday by Attorney General Mike DeWine.

(Jim Mone, Associated Press)

Medical marijuana

Medical marijuana could be legalized in Ohio this year at the ballot box or at the Statehouse.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Backers of a medical marijuana legalization measure cleared the initial hurdle in the process of placing an issue on the statewide ballot.

National group Marijuana Policy Project and its Ohio political action committee Ohioans for Medical Marijuana want to legalize marijuana use for certain medical conditions, with approval from a physician, through a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on Friday certified the group's petition summary as a "fair and truthful" summary of the proposed law. DeWine rejected the group's initial petition language, and revised language included additional medical conditions that would qualify a person to use marijuana.

Next, the Ohio Ballot Board will decide within the next 10 days whether the proposal contains one or multiple amendments.

Then the petitioners need to collect at least 305,591 signatures of registered Ohio voters -- meeting a minimum number in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties -- to qualify for the ballot. The deadline for the November ballot is July 6.

Here's what the group is proposing:

Adults could grow, buy, and use marijuana if a physician recommends marijuana for a qualifying medical condition such as cancer, seizure disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Minors could use marijuana with written permission of a parent or guardian.

Approved patients could buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to six plants or designate another adult to grow for them.

The first 15 commercial growing licenses would be for large-scale growers who pay a $500,000 application fee, but then there would be an unlimited number of licenses available for small- and medium-scale growers.

Marijuana Policy Project Mason Tvert said the group appreciated DeWine's guidance in revising the amendment and they look forward to getting their petition drive started as soon as possible.

"Ohio is one step closer to adopting a sensible medical marijuana law that ensures seriously ill people have safe and legal access to their medicine," Tvert said in a statement.

DeWine rejected medical marijuana language from two other groups earlier this month: Ohio Medical Cannabis Care and Grassroots Ohioans.