Backers of an effort to legalize marijuana in Ohio have the signatures needed to place their plan on the November ballot.
Ohio’s Secretary of State John Husted announced Wednesday afternoon that petitioners gathered 44,185 more valid signatures since their deadline was extended earlier this month. They need less than 30,000.
ResponsibleOhio secured a total of 320,267 valid signatures to take its pro-pot measure to voters this year — a constitutional amendment that would make medical and recreational marijuana sales legal for Ohioans age 21 and older.
How ResponsibleOhio Got This Far
Earlier this month, ResponsibleOhio submitted more than 695,273 signatures in its bid to gain the 305,591 valid sign-offs Ohio law requires to make the ballot. But the effort fell short, and the group was granted 10 more days to take on supplemental collection to gain the nearly 30,000 signatures still needed.
Tuesday marked the cut-off for Ohio’s board of election officials to submit their final tallies to the state.
ResponsibleOhio says records obtained from each of Ohio’s 88 county board of election offices by the group’s law firm McTique & McGinnis of Columbus confirm that more than 33,200 signatures are valid – well above the nearly 30,000 the group needs to qualify, James said.
“There is nothing out there so far that could keep us from the ballot,” said James.
READ MORE: NewsNet5.com
Article Courtesy of WEWS NewsChannel 5 Cleveland
Picture Courtesy of Getty Images and WEWS NewsChannel 5 Cleveland
ResponsibleOhio Successfully Gets Valid Signatures for Marijuana Going on Voting Ballot was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
