Petition Language Approved for Bid to Repeal Ohio’s Recent Hemp and Cannabis Changes
- The Ohio Attorney General’s Office certified the title and summary language for a proposed referendum to repeal a bill restricting the state's adult-use cannabis law and undo changes to hemp regulations.
- Attorney General Dave Yost clarified that the certification does not confirm the enforceability or constitutionality of the referendum petition, but only ensures the wording fairly advises potential signers.
- Yost had previously rejected the proposal’s language in January for not being a fair and truthful representation, but the petition was revised and resubmitted by Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, who addressed the concerns.
- The campaign must collect approximately 250,000 signatures from at least 44 counties—equal to 6% of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election—to get the referendum on the ballot before the new law takes effect in mid-March.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday certified the title and summary language for theproposed referendum aimed at repealing a bill that implemented restrictions on the state’s voter-approved adult-use cannabis law. The proposal would also undo lawmaker approved changes to the state’s hemp regulations.
In a letter approving the title and language, Attorney General Dave Yost said the certification “should not be construed as an affirmation of the enforceability and constitutionality of the referendum petition.”
“My role, as executed here, is limited to determining whether the wording of the title and summary properly advises potential petition signers of a measure’s material components.” — Yost, in the letter
Yost had previously rejected the proposal’s title and language in January, concluding the title and language were not “a fair and truthful representation of the measure.” Ohioans for Cannabis Choice later refiled the petition, and Dennis Willard, spokesperson for the group, said the organization had “addressed each and every issue raised by [Yost], and… are confident [the] new petition summary language will be approved.”
In order to put the issue to voters, the campaign must collect and submit signatures equal to 6% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election, or roughly 250,000 before the bill signed by Gov. Mike DeWine (R) in December takes effect in mid-March. Those signatures must come from at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.