The legal states of marijuana use Laws vary where using, growing pot are allowed

Ohioans to End Prohibition has begun collecting signatures from registered voters toward getting its version of a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana in Ohio on the ballot. OTEP hopes to have its issue ready for voters in 2016.

(Elaine Thompson, The Associated Press)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A second effort to legalize personal use of marijuana in Ohio has begun initial signature gathering that could ultimately lead to a constitutional amendment appearing before voters.

Volunteers for Ohioans To End Prohibition planned to begin collecting signatures Monday at the downtown festivities in Cincinnati marking the opening of Major League Baseball.

Legalizing marijuana

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

for an update on the status of those efforts.

The group hopes to have its issue on the 2016 ballot, said Jacob Wagner, OTEP's vice president and the author of the constitutional amendment language.

If the group can collect 1,000 signatures of registered voters, it can submit its issue to the Ohio attorney general for review.

Wagner said the hope is to have enough signatures gathered by next week.

OTEP's efforts, by coincidence, coincide with release of new polling data by Quinnipiac University that show a majority of Ohio voters, 52 percent, favor legalization of marijuana for personal use. That same poll, released Monday, found that 84 percent of Ohio voters favor legalization for medical use.

If the attorney general certifies that the summary language for the issue that would appear on the ballot is a true representation of the issue itself, it then would be considered by the Ohio Ballot Board. If it finds the proposed amendment is in proper form -- one issue rather than multiple issues -- it can give OTEP the green light to proceed.

At that point, OTEP would have to collect 305,591 signatures of registered voters -- 10 percent of the vote in the 2014 gubernatorial contest -- from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties. In each of those 44 counties, the total gathered must amount to 5 percent of the 2014 gubernatorial vote locally.

OTEP's proposal differs from one that ResponsibleOhio is hoping to get placed on the November ballot this year. While both would open the door for personal use, OTEP's would allow for more widespread growing of marijuana than ResponsibleOhio's plan.

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.