Ohioans for Cannabis Choice take first step in referendum on Senate Bill 56

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A conjugation aiming to motorboat a referendum run connected Senate Bill 56 took nan first measurement successful nan process Monday to artifact nan sweeping marijuana and hemp regulations from taking effect.

Ohioans for Cannabis Choice announced Monday that nan group submitted first petition signatures successful their effort to situation nan rule signed by Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this month.

“In filing our petitions today, we are taking a guidelines for Ohioans against politicians successful Columbus and saying nary to nan authorities overreach of SB 56,” Wesley Bryant, a petitioner and proprietor of 420 Craft Beverages successful Cleveland said successful a statement.

The Ohio Constitution grants Ohioans nan expertise to overturn a rule passed by nan General Assembly done a citizen-led referendum. The first measurement successful nan process is to record an first written petition signed by astatine slightest 1,000 Ohio registered voters to some nan Secretary of State and nan Attorney General for certification. Along pinch nan signatures, nan first petition contains a title, a summary of nan authorities being referred, and a transcript of nan measure aliases conception of nan bill.

If nan petition is certified by some offices, nan group tin statesman gathering signatures to suffice for nan ballot – but it will beryllium a gangly order.

For starters, petitioners don’t person overmuch time. The group has until nan rule takes effect successful mid-March to cod and taxable signatures adjacent to 6% of nan votes formed successful nan astir caller gubernatorial election, aliases astir 250,000. Those signatures must travel from astatine slightest 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

If nan referendum is approved, SB 56 will not return effect until a statewide ballot connected nan authorities tin beryllium held. The referendum would look connected nan adjacent wide predetermination ballot, pinch a mostly ballot needed to artifact nan law.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB 56 into rule connected Dec. 19, which will modulate intoxicating hemp products, including hemp beverages, and makes immoderate adjustments to Ohio’s recreational marijuana laws.

The run insists nan authorities defies nan will of nan voters who passed Issue 2 successful 2023 legalizing recreational usage of marijuana.

“SB 56 forcefully defies nan will of nan voters of Ohio, who said intelligibly connected this issue, and denies nan group of Ohio nan state to usage these products for their individual use,” Dennis Willard, spokesperson for nan coalition, said successful a matter connection aft nan group’s launch.

Mary Frances McGowan is simply a governmental newsman for Cleveland.com. Prior to joining nan squad successful 2025, McGowan was astir precocious a unit analogous astatine National Journal, wherever she covered governmental campaigns for...