Ohio voters have approved a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, becoming the 24th state to embrace legalization. The "yes" vote on Issue 2 will permit individuals aged 21 and older to use, cultivate, or sell marijuana under a state-imposed regulation-and-tax program. The measure will go into effect in 30 days, and supporters campaigned on the idea of regulating marijuana "like alcohol."
While medical marijuana has been legal in Ohio since 2016, the state's passage of this ballot initiative signifies the growing trend toward legalizing recreational cannabis. Similar efforts are underway to place recreational marijuana ballot measures before voters in 2024 in states like Florida, Nebraska, South Dakota, among others. However, a recent effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma was unsuccessful.
Opponents of the Ohio measure ran advertisements claiming that it could lead to marijuana sellers marketing edibles to children as candy, featuring law enforcement officers who opposed the proposed legalization. Despite these concerns, the measure was approved.
It's important to note that marijuana possession remains a federal crime, but President Joe Biden has announced pardons for previous offenses of simple marijuana possession, and the Justice Department is adopting a hands-off approach in states where marijuana use has been legalized. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration "reschedule" marijuana, which would reduce restrictions on its use.
