Arrr! 'Tis said Ohio scallywags be votin' this fall on whether to make the devil's lettuce legal!
2023-08-17
Arrr, me hearties! This comin' autumn, the jolly Ohio voters be given the power to decide if they be wantin' to legalize the merry ol' recreational marijuana. By Blackbeard's beard! Since 2016, the plant o' cannabis be allowed for medicinal purposes in the state, savvy?
In a comical 17th-century pirate language, me hearties, I be tellin' ye the tale of a proposal to legalize the recreational use of the devil's lettuce, also known as marijuana, in the great land of Ohio. Arrr! This proposal be sailin' through the treacherous waters of the state Legislature, but alas, the Republican-led crew failed to take any action on it. Aye, the measure be allowin' adults of 21 years and above to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of the wacky weed, as well as grow their own plants at home. Aye, but there be a tax of 10% on each purchase, to be used for administrative costs, addiction treatment programs, and social equity and jobs programs. The Republican Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, be countin' the signatures and he declared that the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol had enough valid signatures to put the question before the voters. Huzzah! In July, the scallywags originally didn't have enough signatures, but they were given a grace period to collect more. And collect they did, gatherin' an additional 4,405 valid signatures. If this here issue passes, Ohio would be the 24th state to legalize the ganja for adult use. Shiver me timbers! The spokesperson for the coalition, Tom Haren, be sayin' that they just be tryin' to get Ohio in line with its neighbors like Michigan and Illinois. The proposal had a long and treacherous journey to the ballot, with the Secretary of State first presenting it to the General Assembly in January 2022. The Republican legislators be sayin' they wouldn't be votin' for it, so the coalition had to wait until 2023. Marijuana has been legal for medical use in Ohio since 2016. Yo ho ho, it be quite the adventure on the high seas of marijuana legislation in Ohio!