2023 Ohio Issue 2

Last updated

Issue 2
Flag of Ohio.svg
November 7, 2023 (2023-11-07)
Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative [1]
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svgYes2,226,39957.19%
Light brown x.svgNo1,666,31642.81%
Total votes3,892,715100.00%

2023 Ohio Issue 2 results map by county.svg
2023 Ohio Issue 2 results map by congressional district.svg
Yes:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
No:     50–60%     60–70%

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative, listed on the ballot as Issue 2, [2] is a ballot initiative for legalization of cannabis in the U.S. state of Ohio that was passed by voters on November 7, 2023.

Contents

History

State law in Ohio allows citizens to bring initiatives before the state legislature, with signatures of at least 3 percent of the total vote cast for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election. These must have been obtained from at least 44 of the 88 counties in Ohio. From each of these 44 counties, there must be signatures equal to at least 1.5 percent of the total vote cast for the office of governor in that county at the last gubernatorial election. [3] [4]

Upon meeting these requirements, a group can force the legislature to consider an initiative. Without action from the General Assembly or the Governor, by collecting more signatures of a quantity again meeting the above-mentioned requirements, the group can force to send it to voters on the November ballot. In Ohio, a group called the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol brought the initiative to the Ohio Secretary of State to be a 2022 ballot initiative. It was approved on August 30, 2021, for signature gathering. [5] [6] Over 200,000 signatures were submitted to the state at the end of 2021. [7] [8]

A lawsuit over filing deadlines resulted in the Ohio Secretary of State and the state legislature agreeing the initiative's signatures collected in 2021 and 2022 may be applied toward a 2023 ballot deadline. [9]

In July 2023, on an initial count, supporters came up about 650 short of the required number of valid signatures. On August 3, more than ten times the remaining number required to validate the initiative for the November ballot were turned in to the secretary of state. [10] On August 16, 2023, the secretary of state confirmed that the initiative would appear as a referendum ballot on November 7, 2023. [11]

The initiative was passed by voters on November 7, 2023. [12]

Provisions

Adults age 21 and up may purchase, possess and consume marijuana. Home grow of up to six plants per person or 12 plants per residence is allowed. The Division of Cannabis Control is established within the Ohio Department of Commerce to regulate commerce. Cannabis testing laboratories and supply chain are to be regulated. [8]

The initiative also specifies how tax revenues under the new law would be spent. Thirty-six percent (36%) would be designated for "social equity and jobs" programs, estimated to be as high as $150 million per year. Thirty-six percent (36%) would go to communities that have dispensaries. Twenty-five percent (25%) would go to education and addiction treatment programs, and 3% would be used for regulatory and administrative costs. [13]

The sponsor of the initiative, Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, is an affiliate of Marijuana Policy Project. [14]

Politics

Ohio passed medical cannabis (along with decriminalized cannabis) in 2016 under Ohio House Bill 523. [15]

In early 2022, pro-cannabis advocates gathered signatures to send recreational legalization measure to the state legislature. In April, the Senate president publicly announced that he would not bring the measure up for a vote. Under Ohio law, advocates then had a second opportunity to gather more signatures, and if they gathered enough, the measure would go on the ballot in November. "The recreational cannabis petition collected 136,000 verified signatures, enough to get considered by the General Assembly, but would require an additional 132,877 signatures to proceed to the ballot." [15]

The largest organized opposition came from the Center for Christian Virtue, which believes legalized cannabis will produce negative impacts on neighborhoods and society's drug addiction problems. The main proponent behind the ballot initiative was the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), which dismissed the Center for Christian Virtue's opposition as "Prohibition-style talking points from 20 years ago." [15]

In October 2023, Republican Senate President Matt Huffman warned that state legislators could repeal key provisions of Issue 2 if it passed. [16]

Endorsements

Yes
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
State House members
  • Jamie Callender, state representative from the 57th district (2019–present; 1997–2004) (Republican) [19]
  • Ron Ferguson, state representative from the 96th district (2021–present) (Republican) [19]
  • Michele Grim, state representative from the 43rd district (2023–present) (Democrat) [20]
  • Allison Russo, Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2022–present) and state representative from the 7th district (2023–present) and the 24th district (2019–2022) (Democrat) [21]
  • Casey Weinstein, state representative from the 34th district (2023–present) and the 37th district (2019–2022) (Democrat) [22]
Local officials
Individuals
Organizations
Newspapers
No
Statewide officials
  • Mike DeWine, 70th Governor of Ohio (2019–present), 50th Attorney General of Ohio (2011–2019), former U.S. Senator from Ohio (1995–2007), 59th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (1991–1994), and former U.S. Representative from OH-7 (1983–1991) (Republican) [31]
State Senators
State House members
  • Sara Carruthers, state representative from the 47th district (2023–present) and the 51st district (2019–2022) (Republican) [21]
  • Jennifer Gross, state representative from the 45th district (2023–present) and the 52nd district (2021–2022) (Republican) [21]
  • Phil Plummer, state representative from the 39th district (2023–present) and the 40th district (2019–2022) (Republican) [21]
  • Bill Seitz, Majority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2017–present), state representative from the 30th district (2017–present; 2001–2007), and former state senator from the 8th district (2007–2016) (Republican) [33]
Labor unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Declined to endorse

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
ForAgainstUndecided
Data for Progress (D) October 31 – November 2, 2023582 (LV)± 4%61%34%6%
Baldwin Wallace University Community Research Institute October 9–11, 2023569 (RV)± 4.5%57%35%8%
Fallon Research August 22–25, 2023501 (RV)± 4.37%59%32%9%
FM3 Research August 14–23, 2023843 (LV)± 3.5%59%36%5%
USA Today/Suffolk University July 9–12, 2023500 (LV)± 4.4%58.6%34.8%6.6%
  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Results by county

Breakdown of voting by county [1]
CountyYes, %Yes, votesNo, %No, votes
Adams 43.8%3,36856.2%4,326
Allen 46.2%14,21653.8%16,581
Ashland 45.0%8,20055.0%10,029
Ashtabula 55.2%16,72544.8%13,590
Athens 70.6%13,05129.4%5,443
Auglaize 38.6%6,76161.4%10,741
Belmont 48.5%9,11251.5%9,691
Brown 50.5%6,74249.5%6,612
Butler 57.0%64,22343.0%48,410
Carroll 44.8%4,09155.2%5,043
Champaign 51.8%6,88748.2%6,400
Clark 55.7%22,59544.3%17,967
Clermont 57.3%42,62342.7%31,749
Clinton 51.5%6,76848.5%6,385
Columbiana 48.5%15,51751.5%16,490
Coshocton 49.1%5,36050.9%5,548
Crawford 46.9%6,04453.1%6,834
Cuyahoga 66.8%262,81633.2%130,329
Darke 37.9%6,85362.1%11,232
Defiance 47.2%5,95452.8%6,670
Delaware 55.5%53,05444.5%42,594
Erie 58.8%16,52941.2%11,565
Fairfield 52.6%28,97647.4%26,080
Fayette 48.6%3,93951.4%4,158
Franklin 68.0%285,83532.0%134,764
Fulton 42.3%6,42457.7%8,774
Gallia 44.7%3,27355.3%4,043
Geauga 51.8%21,07848.2%19,588
Greene 51.9%32,03448.1%29,747
Guernsey 50.0%5,58250.0%5,586
Hamilton 65.8%186,77034.2%97,257
Hancock 46.7%11,94153.3%13,623
Hardin 48.7%4,01451.3%4,235
Harrison 44.7%2,05355.3%2,543
Henry 42.1%4,16357.9%5,731
Highland 46.2%5,45153.8%6,343
Hocking 53.6%4,77046.4%4,128
Holmes 31.4%2,73168.6%5,961
Huron 51.6%9,20948.4%8,635
Jackson 48.9%3,96851.1%4,152
Jefferson 48.9%9,69151.1%10,123
Knox 47.8%10,57652.2%11,557
Lake 59.0%52,94041.0%36,735
Lawrence 51.7%8,50648.3%7,939
Licking 52.8%32,84847.2%29,351
Logan 49.4%7,63150.6%7,804
Lorain 59.6%65,95240.4%44,634
Lucas 61.2%72,21438.8%45,762
Madison 50.2%6,92549.8%6,880
Mahoning 52.0%39,06048.0%36,106
Marion 53.4%10,02546.6%8,742
Medina 53.8%39,75246.2%34,097
Meigs 52.0%3,36348.0%3,108
Mercer 34.5%6,04065.5%11,491
Miami 48.5%19,28951.5%20,471
Monroe 43.7%1,81856.3%2,339
Montgomery 60.3%101,55439.7%66,975
Morgan 45.2%2,07354.8%2,512
Morrow 48.5%6,32351.5%6,705
Muskingum 48.9%12,28551.1%12,814
Noble 41.8%1,71658.2%2,387
Ottawa 54.1%9,24645.9%7,843
Paulding 45.1%2,83754.9%3,449
Perry 51.8%5,63248.2%5,239
Pickaway 48.5%9,16251.5%9,748
Pike 47.0%3,50153.0%3,942
Portage 58.7%33,83941.3%23,778
Preble 47.3%6,68752.7%7,440
Putnam 30.8%4,42369.2%9,938
Richland 49.8%19,94550.2%20,074
Ross 53.0%11,35947.0%10,058
Sandusky 52.4%10,69247.6%9,694
Scioto 47.6%8,42452.4%9,283
Seneca 50.2%8,96249.8%8,881
Shelby 39.2%6,78560.8%10,519
Stark 51.9%65,86548.1%61,091
Summit 60.6%115,17439.4%75,010
Trumbull 53.1%34,34546.9%30,352
Tuscarawas 42.7%12,13857.3%16,281
Union 52.1%13,40847.9%12,330
Van Wert 44.6%4,29655.4%5,330
Vinton 52.3%1,79647.7%1,636
Warren 51.9%46,97048.1%43,558
Washington 47.6%9,27752.4%10,209
Wayne 44.6%16,59955.4%20,648
Williams 43.6%5,29056.4%6,856
Wood 55.3%25,87144.7%20,875
Wyandot 46.4%3,59553.6%4,145

Reaction

On November 8, the day after polling, top Republican leaders in Ohio indicated the possibility of overturning the measures approved by the voters in the ballot, along with those of Issue 1 on abortion. [41] Republicans who oppose the initiative are able to change the law and to repeal it due to holding majorities in both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate. [42] Ohio Senate leader Steve Huffman, a Republican, said that given the result, Ohio legislators "may consider amending the statute to clarify the questionable language regarding limits for THC and tax rates as well as other parts of the statute." [41] While Issue 2 mandates that marijuana tax revenue should be used to regulate marijuana, support substance abuse services, assist industry business owners and fund local governments where recreational business owners exist, Ohio House leader Jason Stephens, also a Republican, called for the Ohio "legislature to lead on how best to allocate tax revenues", and proposed "county jail construction and funding law enforcement training". [43]

Voter demographics

Ohio Issue 2 vote by demographic subgroup
Demographic subgroup [44] YesNo % of
total vote
Total vote57.043.0100
Age
18–29 years old841612
30–44 years old693122
45–64 years old534735
65+ years old406031
Party ID
Democrat792132
Republican307035
Independent643633
Ideology
Liberal851534
Moderate643630
Conservative237736
Marital Status
Married505061
Unmarried663439
Married With Children?
Yes584223
No564477
Race
White544685
Black722810
Latino66343
AsianN/AN/A1
OtherN/AN/A1
Gender
Male584247
Female554553
Area Type
Urban653540
Suburban524843
Rural544618
White Born-Again or Evangelical Christian
Yes307030
No683270
Parents
Men With Children604014
Women With Children604016
Men Without Children574333
Women Without Children534737
Education
Never Attended College485218
Some College633723
Associate's Degree554514
Bachelor's Degree584225
Advanced Degree574319
Union Household
Yes633730
No554570
2020 Presidential Vote
Biden802045
Trump316943
Another Candidate63375
Did Not Vote64364
Biden Approval
Strongly Approve792115
Somewhat Approve802024
Somewhat Disapprove653513
Strongly Disapprove356546

See also

References

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  2. Smith, Julie Carr (August 24, 2023). "Backers blast approved ballot language for Ohio's fall abortion amendment as misleading". Associated Press . Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  3. BeMiller, Haley. "Ohio legal marijuana advocates submit 29K more signatures for proposed law". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
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  6. Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2022), Ballotpedia
  7. BeMiller, Haley (December 20, 2021). "Ohio marijuana legalization measure secures 206K voter signatures for proposed law". The Columbus Dispatch via Yahoo!.
  8. 1 2 "The Just Like Alcohol campaign submits signatures to state, one step closer to getting recreational marijuana on Ohio ballot next year", Cleveland.com, December 20, 2021
  9. Karen Kasler (May 13, 2022). "Ohio voters won't decide on initiative to legalize marijuana until at least next year". The Statehouse News Bureau. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2022-05-14 via WKSU.
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  12. Carr Smyth, Julie (November 7, 2023). "Ohio Becomes Latest State To Legalize Recreational Marijuana". Associated Press . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  13. Slawson, Jeff (2022-02-01). "Fight to regulate marijuana like alcohol makes way to house floor". WOIO CBS 19. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
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  17. 1 2 3 Shillcock, George (October 30, 2023). "Sherrod Brown takes stance on Issue 2 while JD Vance remains silent ahead of Election Day". WOSU. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
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  23. Houmard, Celeste (October 18, 2023). "Cleveland mayor speaks to Fox 8 News, endorses Issue 1". FOX 8. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
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  32. Kasler, Karen (October 15, 2023). "Ohio's Senate president says he thinks lawmakers will change the marijuana law if voters pass Issue 2". WOUB. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
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  34. Donaldson, Sarah (August 30, 2023). "Who is campaigning against recreational marijuana in Ohio, and how?". WOWK-TV. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  35. "The Rundown: Issue 1 fails, but we continue the fight to defeat abortion in November". Center for Christian Virtue. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  36. 1 2 Sean McDonnell (October 2, 2023). "3 Ohio businesses groups oppose ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, but proponents push back on claims". Cleveland.com.
  37. Boney, Stan (September 22, 2023). "Organizations issue statements opposing Ohio Issue Two". WKBN-TV. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  38. "Ohio Farm Bureau Opposes Issue 2". Morning AgClips. October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  39. The Blade Editorial Board (October 12, 2023). "Editorial: 'No' on Issue 2". The Blade. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  40. Holmes, Debbie (September 27, 2023). "Issues 1 and 2 expected to draw higher voter turnout in off-year election". WOSU. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  41. 1 2 BeMiller, Haley (November 8, 2023). "Will of the voters? Republicans in Ohio pledge to push back on abortion, marijuana". USA Today. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  42. Smyth, Julie (November 8, 2023). "Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, becoming 24th state to do so". The Associated Press. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  43. Hulsey, Lynn; Kreemer, Avery (November 8, 2023). "Issue 2: Ohio voters say yes to legal recreational marijuana for adults". Dayton Daily News . Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  44. "Exit polls for Ohio ballot measure election results 2023 | CNN Politics". CNN .

Further reading