Ohio voters took matters into their own hands, approving a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday despite the opposition of Republican legislative leaders.
Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes.
"Marijuana is no longer a controversial issue," said Tom Haren, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "Ohioans demonstrated this by passing State Issue 2 in a landslide. Ohioans are being extremely clear on the future they want for our state: adult-use marijuana legal and regulated."
The new law will allow adults 21 and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and to grow plants at home. A 10% tax will be imposed on purchases, to be spent on administrative costs, addiction treatment, municipalities with dispensaries and social equity and jobs programs supporting the industry itself.
The election's outcome represents a blow to GOP lawmakers, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and business and manufacturing organizations concerned about its impact on workplace and traffic safety.
However, as a citizen-initiated statute, the law is subject to change. Republicans who remain opposed to it in the Legislature are free to make tweaks to the law or even repeal it, though the political stakes are higher now that the voters have approved it.
Among the concerns raised by opponents that lawmakers may revisit is the measure's tax structure, which does not allocate any of the proceeds to Ohio counties that administer social services programs directed at drug use, addiction and other issues that could rise due to Issue 2's passage.
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