Ohio Senate Chairman Rejects Recreational Cannabis Petition

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman said last week that he would not honor a petition to legalize recreational cannabis, daring reform activists who are proposing to bring the issue before voters in a statewide election. Huffman, one of Ohio’s most powerful Republican lawmakers and chairman of the GOP-controlled state Senate, told reporters that he would not bring the adult-use cannabis legalization proposal sponsored by the group Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol to the vote.

“I don’t want anyone to misunderstand my position,” Huffman said, as quoted by Columbus Dispatch. “I’m not going to take it to the Senate. And if that means people want to put it on the ballot, then you have it.”

Last month, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that the campaign to regulate marijuana like alcohol had filed petitions with about 136,000 verified signatures from registered voters, more than enough to send lawmakers the legalization proposal for consideration. Under Ohio law, the state legislature then had four months to pass the measure as written or to pass an amended version.

If lawmakers don’t do so, the campaign can collect an additional 132,887 signatures to bring the proposal to voters about a voting measure for this year’s general election. Tom Haren, a campaign spokesman, called on state lawmakers to approve the bid to legalize recreational marijuana after LaRose announced Jan. 28 that the group had collected enough signatures to send the proposal to the Legislature .

“We stand ready and committed to working with Ohio lawmakers over the next four months to legalize adult marijuana use in Ohio,” Haren said in a statement. “We are also fully prepared to gather more signatures and take this issue directly to voters on November 8, 2022 if lawmakers don’t act.”

Proposal would legalize recreational pot for adults

If passed, the campaign’s proposal to regulate marijuana like alcohol would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess and purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of concentrates. Adults are also allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants at home, with a cap of 12 plants per household.

The measure would also impose a 10 percent tax on cannabis products. Revenue generated by the tax would be used to fund administration of the cannabis program and shared with municipalities that agree to allow marijuana dispensaries to set up businesses in their jurisdictions. Taxes would also fund drug abuse programs.

Huffman isn’t the only state GOP leader to publicly oppose efforts to legalize adult pot. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who as Attorney General campaigned against a vote to legalize recreational cannabis in 2015, has announced he will veto an adult-use cannabis law if one reaches his desk.

“No, I think that’s a mistake,” DeWine said. “I think you’re changing the culture and you’re sending a signal to the kids … If it’s legal, every kid is the message, it’s okay.”

And House Majority Leader Bill Seitz said that a recreational cannabis bill introduced by other Republicans is unlikely to pass.

“I haven’t read the bill, but I doubt it could get through,” Seitz said. “My own bipartisan bill to allow medical marijuana for the treatment of the autism spectrum hasn’t even made it out of committee, and this newly proposed bill is a giant leap beyond that.”

Haren said he believes Republicans declined to put the campaign proposal to a vote because they fear it will be successful.

“I kind of suspect that the people in leadership are saying they don’t want to speak about our proposal because they assume that if it speaks, it will be accepted,” he said. “Otherwise there would be no concerns.”