Marijuana legalization took effect today in Ohio, despite a last-minute attempt to override key parts of that voter-approved policy. The failure of that effort suggests that the Republicans who control the state legislature recognized the political perils of so blatantly defying voters' wishes.
Ohio, where legislators authorized medical use of marijuana in 2016, became the 24th state to legalize recreational use a month ago, when 57 percent of voters said yes to Issue 2. As of today, that ballot measure makes it legal for adults 21 or older to publicly possess 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana and grow up to six plants at home. Issue 2 also envisions a state-regulated cannabis industry with retail sales taxed at 10 percent. But as an initiated statute rather than a constitutional amendment, it can be revised by a simple majority of state legislators.
