The Green Thread: Marijuana in the states

[The Mikado]

Signature gatherers fell just short in Ohio, however:

A proposal to legalize adult use of marijuana in Ohio narrowly fell short Tuesday of the signatures it needed to make the fall statewide ballot. Backers will have 10 days, or until Aug. 4, to gather more.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose determined the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was short by just 679 signatures of the 124,046 signatures required to put the question before voters on Nov. 7.

679 short. Wow.

A new poll indicates strong support too:

The USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University survey, published on Wednesday, found that about 59 percent of Ohioans support legalizing the possession and sale of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Just 35 percent are opposed.

Democrats were the most supportive of the policy change, at 77 percent, followed by independents, 63 percent of whom are on board. Among Republicans, however, just 40 percent back legalizing cannabis.

There was also majority support among voters in every age group, except for those over 65.

Wait, why are you if they have until August 4th to gather more signatures? If so, that's easily getting to its goal.

[politicallefty]

Signature gatherers fell just short in Ohio, however:

A proposal to legalize adult use of marijuana in Ohio narrowly fell short Tuesday of the signatures it needed to make the fall statewide ballot. Backers will have 10 days, or until Aug. 4, to gather more.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose determined the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was short by just 679 signatures of the 124,046 signatures required to put the question before voters on Nov. 7.

679 short. Wow.

A new poll indicates strong support too:

The USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University survey, published on Wednesday, found that about 59 percent of Ohioans support legalizing the possession and sale of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Just 35 percent are opposed.

Democrats were the most supportive of the policy change, at 77 percent, followed by independents, 63 percent of whom are on board. Among Republicans, however, just 40 percent back legalizing cannabis.

There was also majority support among voters in every age group, except for those over 65.

Wait, why are you if they have until August 4th to gather more signatures? If so, that's easily getting to its goal.

That's not a frown emoji. It's an unamused face emoji. They should've had it on the first attempt, that's all.

[Nhoj]

Officially Legal in Minnesota and Two Native Reservations are opening Retail stores this month. But way up in the northwest. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/01/recreational-cannabis-is-now-legal-in-minnesota-heres-what-we-know

[Badger]

Signature gatherers fell just short in Ohio, however:

A proposal to legalize adult use of marijuana in Ohio narrowly fell short Tuesday of the signatures it needed to make the fall statewide ballot. Backers will have 10 days, or until Aug. 4, to gather more.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose determined the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was short by just 679 signatures of the 124,046 signatures required to put the question before voters on Nov. 7.

679 short. Wow.

A new poll indicates strong support too:

The USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University survey, published on Wednesday, found that about 59 percent of Ohioans support legalizing the possession and sale of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Just 35 percent are opposed.

Democrats were the most supportive of the policy change, at 77 percent, followed by independents, 63 percent of whom are on board. Among Republicans, however, just 40 percent back legalizing cannabis.

There was also majority support among voters in every age group, except for those over 65.

Wait, why are you if they have until August 4th to gather more signatures? If so, that's easily getting to its goal.

That's not a frown emoji. It's an unamused face emoji. They should've had it on the first attempt, that's all.

Quick side note. A little talked about third impact of the issue one referendum on the ballot this tuesday, in addition to requiring a threshold number of signatures in all 88 counties rather than the current 44 counties put an initiative on the ballot, plus a 60% supermajority Statewide vote to pass it, it would also remove this 10-day correction. If signatures came insanely short like the marijuana initiative. Backers will almost surely come up with the several hundred signatures and then some necessary to get this on the ballot, but if he shouldn't passes it gets tossed because a relative handfuls of signatures were deemed invalid/ insufficient.

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/MorganTrau/status/1687127990629527552?t=XkZhb4rEPd17qQ4rP7KN...

They'd need a 90% strike rate on these for their efforts to fail.

[WalterWhite]

https://twitter.com/MorganTrau/status/1687127990629527552?t=XkZhb4rEPd17qQ4rP7KN...
They'd need a 90% strike rate on these for their efforts to fail.

This would pretty much pass in every state except Utah. Zaza is a very popular commodity. A 60% threshold is not stopping this one.

[politicallefty]

Apparently, Franklin County will provide enough signatures by itself:

https://twitter.com/darreldrowland/status/1691880026952683613?s=11&t=e1942nb...

Ohio has got quite the ballot in this odd year.

[politicallefty]

4405 valid signatures out of 6545 submitted (67% valid)

The voters of Ohio will decide in November, on the same ballot with the abortion rights amendment.

[Zedonathin2020]

For being such a GOP leaning state since the Trump era began Ohio seems to have really put itself up on a progressive pedestal this November.

"Ohio, come for the weed, stay for the Reproductive Rights" is the last thing I expected to potentially happen

[Badger]

For being such a GOP leaning state since the Trump era began Ohio seems to have really put itself up on a progressive pedestal this November.

"Ohio, come for the weed, stay for the Reproductive Rights" is the last thing I expected to potentially happen

This is more result of Ohio Republicans overreaching rather than any tangible reversion to the mean of Ohio once again becoming a swing state with a +1 or 2R PVI.

[Panhandle Progressive]

HUGE NEWS!

HHS official suggests reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug (effectively like any prescription drug) -- CURRENTLY FEDERALLY ILLEGAL AT Schedule I.

https://twitter.com/SecBecerra/status/1696981120280084617

Rescheduling marijuana potentially would open up more avenues for research, allow cannabis businesses to bank more freely and openly, and have firms no longer subject to a 40-year-old tax code that disallows credits and deductions from income generated by sales of Schedule I and II substances.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/30/health/marijuana-schedule-hhs-dea/index.html

[The Mikado]

HUGE NEWS!

HHS official suggests reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug (effectively like any prescription drug) -- CURRENTLY FEDERALLY ILLEGAL AT Schedule I.

https://twitter.com/SecBecerra/status/1696981120280084617

Rescheduling marijuana potentially would open up more avenues for research, allow cannabis businesses to bank more freely and openly, and have firms no longer subject to a 40-year-old tax code that disallows credits and deductions from income generated by sales of Schedule I and II substances.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/30/health/marijuana-schedule-hhs-dea/index.html

This is BIG on this issue. If this goes through it'll have huge ramifications for states with legal weed and bring the still rather dodgy legal weed industry more into the mainstream in terms of being an ordinary business.

[politicallefty]

A new poll out of Ohio seems to confirm a different poll from last month. with legalization up 59-32.

While both surveys found that 59 percent of Ohioans back the reform, Fallon’s puts Republican support at 48 percent, while opposition is at 46 percent.

[...]

The measure also enjoys majority support across racial groups and all age categories except those 65 and older, though there’s still plurality support within that group as well.

Also interesting is that Republican Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14, in the Northeastern part of the state) has endorsed the measure. Apparently, he's co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus along with Barbara Lee.

[TarHeelDem]

https://twitter.com/LillyKnoepp/status/1699957088233873557

2464/3521 is 69.98%, so you might as well round to 70%. Not sure how many absentee ballots still need to be counted (if any), but I expect that whatever might be outstanding would increase the margin.

82.6 square miles of North Carolina throughout five counties will now have legal marijuana for recreational purposes.

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/andrewjtobias/status/1707071429953380679?s=46

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/andrewjtobias/status/1707071429953380679?s=46

This poll has a lot go good data on the topic - such as breaking down by party support in a multibarrel axis and then further based on past votes...but I can't forgive them for not throwing in a Issue 1 question, even if its just for comparison. They will be on the same ballot for gods sake!

[Badger]

https://twitter.com/andrewjtobias/status/1707071429953380679?s=46

Historically support for the yes vote drops as an election approaches, and that's especially so for marijuana legalization initiatives. Still, this is enough of a lead that yes should still win comfortably.

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/andrewjtobias/status/1707071429953380679?s=46

Historically support for the yes vote drops as an election approaches, and that's especially so for marijuana legalization initiatives. Still, this is enough of a lead that yes should still win comfortably.

It’ll probably fit  close with the August results. Maybe the abortion thing will score 2% lower.

[Gass3268]

https://www.bw.edu/Assets/community-research-institute/october_ohio_issues_poll%20final.pdf

Do you think the recreational use of marijuana should be fully legalized in Ohio? Or should it remain against the law?

Fully Leagalized 58.1
Remain Against The Law 30.0
Not Sure 11.9

[politicallefty]

https://www.bw.edu/Assets/community-research-institute/october_ohio_issues_poll%20final.pdf

Do you think the recreational use of marijuana should be fully legalized in Ohio? Or should it remain against the law?

Fully Leagalized 58.1
Remain Against The Law 30.0
Not Sure 11.9

That's the same poll mentioned in the abortion topic. It's a year old, but has basically the same number in support as every poll this year as well.

Historically support for the yes vote drops as an election approaches, and that's especially so for marijuana legalization initiatives. Still, this is enough of a lead that yes should still win comfortably.

It looks to me like a mixed bag mostly as to how marijuana performs with respect to polling. Polling can be a mess, but it is interesting how steady the Yes vote is in the polling for legalization in Ohio (nearly 60%). If that were to hold and all of the undecideds vote against, it'd be a huge landslide. It would be nice to get some updated polling though.

I don't know what part of the state you're from, but what are your thoughts as to the lay of the land on both statewide initiatives?

[politicallefty]

https://www.bw.edu/assets/community-research-institute/october_ohio_issues_poll-final.pdf

Q11: Issue 2 is a proposed state law that would legalize the growing, sale, and use of marijuana for recreational purposes. If the election was held today, how would you vote on Issue 2?

YES  57.4
NO    35.1

Interestingly, it finds a bare majority of Republicans voting Yes.

[lfromnj]

Really weak anti weed campaign in Ohio despite the amendment having a bunch of woke stuff.

(A) As used in this section, "cannabis social equity and jobs program participant" means a person
certified as a participant in the cannabis social equity program by the department of development
under this section of the Revised Code

(i) The business owner or owners demonstrate membership in a racial minority group or show
personal disadvantage due to color, ethnic origin, gender, physical disability, or long-term
residence in an area of high unemployment;

(9) Encourage employment practices, in which an adult use cannabis operator can demonstrate a plan of action to inform, hire, and educate minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities, engage in fair labor practices, and provide worker protections;

[politicallefty]

Really weak anti weed campaign in Ohio despite the amendment having a bunch of woke stuff.

(A) As used in this section, "cannabis social equity and jobs program participant" means a person
certified as a participant in the cannabis social equity program by the department of development
under this section of the Revised Code

(i) The business owner or owners demonstrate membership in a racial minority group or show
personal disadvantage due to color, ethnic origin, gender, physical disability, or long-term
residence in an area of high unemployment;

(9) Encourage employment practices, in which an adult use cannabis operator can demonstrate a plan of action to inform, hire, and educate minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities, engage in fair labor practices, and provide worker protections;

Not a lot of money on either side, apparently:

All told, the campaigns have spent just $1 million in the weeks before the Nov. 7 election, an unusually small amount for a controversial ballot issue and a fraction of the amount spent by the groups surrounding State Issue 1, the abortion amendment.

That's extraordinarily low. It is a statute though, so it can be amended or even repealed by the state legislature. Revisions to the law are probably likely. An outright repeal would almost certainly invite a constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot.

[Person Man]

Really weak anti weed campaign in Ohio despite the amendment having a bunch of woke stuff.

(A) As used in this section, "cannabis social equity and jobs program participant" means a person
certified as a participant in the cannabis social equity program by the department of development
under this section of the Revised Code

(i) The business owner or owners demonstrate membership in a racial minority group or show
personal disadvantage due to color, ethnic origin, gender, physical disability, or long-term
residence in an area of high unemployment;

(9) Encourage employment practices, in which an adult use cannabis operator can demonstrate a plan of action to inform, hire, and educate minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities, engage in fair labor practices, and provide worker protections;

Not a lot of money on either side, apparently:

All told, the campaigns have spent just $1 million in the weeks before the Nov. 7 election, an unusually small amount for a controversial ballot issue and a fraction of the amount spent by the groups surrounding State Issue 1, the abortion amendment.

That's extraordinarily low. It is a statute though, so it can be amended or even repealed by the state legislature. Revisions to the law are probably likely. An outright repeal would almost certainly invite a constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot.

That kind of makes sense to do that, actually.

[Virginiá]

Is there a reason Issue 2 is an initiated statute instead of a constitutional amendment? Ohio has no rules on legislative tampering, and given the GOP's track record on messing with ballot initiatives, this seems like an obvious problem.