A local ballot measure decriminalizing marijuana was approved by another Ohio city.
Helena, a city with a population just above 200, approved the reform during the primaries earlier this month by a vote of 15-8.
In recent years, more than 30 Ohio localities have decriminalized through local ballots.
In five jurisdictions , Corning, Hemlock and Kent, Laurelville, Rushville, Shawnee, the voters voted to decriminalize marijuana in November.
The initiative was then certified for this month’s election and a href=”https://sanduskycountyoh.gov/uploads/board%20of%20elections/2023/Sandusky%20County%20Official%20Results%205.2.23.pdf” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank>prevailed/a>. The initiative was certified for the election this month and won.
Before the last election, more that two dozen jurisdictions had already adopted local statutes decriminalizing possession. Some of these were passed through voter initiatives, while others have been adopted by city councils, in major cities such as Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.
Activists from the Sensible movement Coalition and NORML Appalachia have worked on local reforms as statewide efforts to decriminalize and legalize marijuana have stalled.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol (CTRMLA), is now collecting signatures for their reform initiative .
The lawmakers missed an opportunity to pass the activists’ legalization proposal. They let a statutory deadline for taking up the issue expire earlier this month, and left it up to the advocates to continue the signature collection to put the measure on 2024 ballot.
The Ohio secretary of state presented the reform legislation to legislators in early January. This gave them four months to examine legalizing cannabis, before an election law would be triggered. This has fueled advocates to keep petitioning for the reform to go directly to voters.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, or CTRMLA, initially tried to place the legalization initiative last year on the ballot. However, procedural issues prevented this. The activists submitted enough signatures for the review to begin, but their timing was challenged.
CTRMLA’s suit to force ballot placement failed in the 2022 election. However, The state agreed to a settlement which meant that they wouldn’t have to collect a second round of signatures.
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Last session, two Ohio Democratic legislators filed separately a bill that would have legalized marijuana, which was identical to the proposed ballot initiative. However, it failed to advance on time.
A GOP legislator, who had sponsored a bill that would tax and regulate marijuana, has downplayed expectations for legislative reform. He said the issue will most likely be decided by the voters.
In December, the House Finance Committee conducted a on the Republican and Democratic legalization bills. However, no votes were taken.
The conservative legislature is considering major changes to the medical cannabis program in this session, even though they may have missed the deadline to pass legislation on adult-use marijuana.
Also, Gov. Mike DeWine , a Republican, signed in January a criminal justice reform law that allows cities to facilitate mass expungements of people with drug-related convictions. This includes marijuana possession up to 200 grams.
The mayor of Cleveland announced in April, after the law became effective, that the city would be moving ahead with plans for sealing thousands of cannabis records.
Connecticut House passes bill to release marijuana prisoners, sending it to Senate
The post Another Ohio City Approves local marijuana decriminalization initiative at the ballot appeared initially on Marijuana Moment.
