TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohioans voted Tuesday to join 23 other states and legalize recreational use of marijuana for adults.
Issue 2 will allow people 21 and older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of cannabis and 15 grams (about a half-ounce) of extract, and to grow up to six plants per individual through a government program.
The measure also imposes a 10% tax on marijuana purchases, with that revenue going toward administrative costs and addiction treatment in the state, as well as to municipalities that host dispensaries.
The measure also gives those with marijuana-related arrests and convictions, as well as their loved ones, a chance to benefit from the industry once possession of cannabis is no longer illegal. A social equity program will help qualified people to launch businesses that sell or grow cannabis. To qualify, recipients or their family members must have had legal run-ins related to marijuana, and must be part of a disadvantaged group based on race, gender, disability or economic considerations.
The program will be administered by the Division of Cannabis Control in the state Department of Commerce, an office that will fashion the rules around licensing, testing and product standards, among other regulations.
Ohio is the 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana for adult use, a move that supporters say socially and financially makes sense for the state.
In 2018 Michigan voters approved a ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana in that state.
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