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Early Voting For Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative Begins

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Early Voting For Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative Begins


Early voting for an Ohio marijuana legalization initiative begins on Wednesday, giving the state’s voters a chance to make the state the 24th in the nation to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. Early in-person voting begins on October 11 for the statewide election to be held next month on Tuesday, November 7. The measure sponsored by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is listed as Issue 2 in voting materials, appearing on the ballot with a proposed constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights including abortion.

If passed, the proposed ballot initiative would legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio for adults 21 and older, who would be permitted to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. The proposal also legalizes marijuana cultivation for personal use, with adults allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants at home. Households with more than one adult would be permitted to grow a total of 12 plants.

The commercial production and sales of cannabis products would be regulated by a new state agency dubbed the Division of Cannabis Control, which would have the authority to “license, regulate, investigate, and penalize adult use cannabis operators, adult use testing laboratories, and individuals required to be licensed,” according to the text of the measure. Cannabis products would carry a 10% tax, which would be dedicated to administrative costs of marijuana regulation, substance misuse treatment programs and a social equity and jobs program.

Municipalities with licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries would also receive a share of cannabis tax revenue. Under the proposal’s social equity program, some cannabis cultivation and dispensary licenses would be reserved for individuals from communities that have faced disproportionate enforcement of Ohio’s current marijuana laws.

“We are proposing to regulate marijuana for adult use, just like we do for alcohol,” campaign spokesperson Tom Haren said in a press release when the campaign was launched nearly two years ago. “Our proposal fixes a broken system while ensuring local control, keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and benefiting everyone.”

Polls Show Ohio Weed Legalization Bid Likely To Pass

The Ohio marijuana legalization initiative appears likely to succeed at the ballot box, according to public opinion polls. In a recent poll of 843 likely voters commissioned by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and conducted by FM3 Research, 55% of respondents said they “definitely” or “probably” will vote yes on the initiative, while about 34% “definitely” or “probably” will oppose it. A separate poll from Fallon Research found that 59% of registered voters surveyed support the ballot measure, while less than a third (32%) said they would vote against the initiative.

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If the marijuana legalization initiative prevails at the polls, Ohio will join the 23 states that have legalized recreational marijuana for adults.

“The sky hasn’t fallen in any of those states,” Heren said in a statement to the Salem News. “Our proposal is pretty standard. We looked at the best practices and things that could be better. We tried to craft a proposal that works for Ohio.”

Brian Vicente, founding partner of the cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP who is an Ohio native and member of the state’s bar association, said that the marijuana legalization effort in Ohio could set the stage for further cannabis policy reform measures across the country.

“The significance of Ohio’s pending vote on legalization cannot be overstated,” Vicente wrote in an August email. “Ohio has long been considered the political bellwether for the country. If Ohio supports this measure, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the country joins the over two dozen states with adult-use legalization.”

As an initiated statute rather than a constitutional amendment, if Issue 2 is successful at the polls the state legislature could conceivably modify or even repeal the measure. But Haren believes that possibility is unlikely.

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“I’m not aware of a single legislator who says they’re going to repeal it,” he said. “They say it’s the will of the people if it’s passed by Ohio voters.”



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If you have a suspended driver’s license, Ohio may make it easier to get it back

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If you have a suspended driver’s license, Ohio may make it easier to get it back



Hundreds of thousands of Ohio drivers who face driver license suspensions every year may have an easier road to getting their licenses reinstated.

Hundreds of thousands of Ohio drivers who face driver license suspensions every year may have an easier road to getting their licenses reinstated.

Lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill that will make it harder to lose your license and easier to get a suspended license reinstated.

The bill now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine for consideration.

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The Ohio Poverty Law Center thanked lawmakers for moving the legislation forward.

“With the amendment and passage of House Bill 29, Ohioans who have been shouldering the burden of debt-related driver’s license suspensions will soon find relief and be able to return to the road. A valid driver’s license is essential to participating in Ohio’s economy and earning the money necessary to resolve existing debt,” the center said in a statement on Wednesday.

Currently, Ohio drivers can lose their licenses for more than 30 reasons, many of which are not related to dangerous driving. Reinstatement fees can ramp up quickly, starting at $15 and maxing out at $650.

Roughly 60% of license suspensions each year are for debt-related reasons. Under the bill heading to DeWine’s desk, license suspensions would largely be limited to convictions that are related to dangerous driving.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles doesn’t keep statistics on the total number of current suspensions but on average there are 257,500 suspensions imposed each year.

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After last-minute changes made Wednesday, the bill would:

  • Wipe out old suspensions from the discontinued program that randomly selected drivers to provide proof of insurance.
  • Shorten the window in which driving without insurance offenses can be considered repeat offenses from five years to one year.
  • Increase the opportunities that Ohioans can ask for driving privileges if their licenses were suspended for failure to pay child support.
  • Eliminate school truancy as a reason for license denial or suspension.
  • Remove licenses suspensions for drug offenses unrelated to driving.
  • Keep the ability to suspend licenses for some lower-level drug abuse offenses when the vehicle is used in the commission of a drug crime.

Statehouse reporter Erin Glynn contributed reporting.

Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.



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Mark Pope prepares for 'epic clash in Madison Square Garden' vs. Ohio State: “It's what you live for.”

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Mark Pope prepares for 'epic clash in Madison Square Garden' vs. Ohio State: “It's what you live for.”


Ohio State has had its ups and downs this season, opening the year at 7-4 with wins over No. 19 Texas and Rutgers with losses to No. 23 Texas A&M, Pitt, Maryland and No. 2 Auburn — that last one a 38-point beatdown in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta this past weekend.

The Buckeyes, led by first-year coach Jake Diebler, are grading out fine as the No. 32 team in the NET and the No. 36 team by KenPom — No. 33 in offense and No. 55 in defense — with terrific shooting numbers while dealing with some availability issues. In a high-profile event like the CBS Sports Classic in a higher-profile venue like Madison Square Garden, though, Mark Pope is expecting OSU’s best shot on Saturday.

“Terrific team, they shoot the ball at an unbelievable clip. I think as a team they’re shooting 41 percent from the 3-point line,” Pope said of the Buckeyes. “They play fast, they play hard, it’s a great coaching staff. They’re a formidable opponent. It’s a really, really good team.”

The highs have been high while the lows have been low, that 38-point loss to Auburn serving as the biggest and most demoralizing black eye. On one end, Ohio State has just one Quad 1 victory in the first game of the season against the Longhorns. Beyond that, though, the Buckeyes are 0-4 in Quad 1 matchups and 6-0 against Quad 3 and 4 teams — no Quad 2s. They’ve beaten up on the cupcakes without much to show for it against the real competition.

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That’s where a Quad 1 against UK comes in, a chance for OSU to get back on track with a statement win in the national spotlight. CBS Sports Classic in New York City right before Christmas? That’s what it’s all about, right?

Pope certainly views it that way.

“They’ve had some great success and then a couple of games I think they’d like to take back — like all of us, right?” he said. “A really, really good challenge against a team that is going to continue to get better and better. It’s going to be an epic clash in Madison Square Garden for Christmas. I mean, it’s what you live for.”

Sophomore forward Devin Royal leads the Buckeyes with 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest, followed by junior guard Bruce Thornton with 14.8 points per game, freshman guard John Mobley Jr. with 12.1 points and senior guard Micah Parrish with 10.5 points to round out double-digit scorers.

Elsewhere, former Kentucky forward Aaron Bradshaw‘s status remains up in the air after returning to team activities on Dec. 9 with no games under his belt since Nov. 19. Fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson Jr., who is second on the team in minutes played at 28.8 per contest with 10 starts, is also taking a leave of absence from the team to “address some personal matters,” the school announced this week.

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Don’t expect the Wildcats to have their guard down against the Buckeyes — even with Christmas just a couple of days away. Gotta earn an 11th win on the year before cruising into the holiday.



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Ohio promotes OC Smith to replace Albin as HC

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Ohio promotes OC Smith to replace Albin as HC


Ohio promoted Brian Smith to be its long-term head coach Wednesday, removing the interim tag.

Smith, who served as the Bobcats’ offensive coordinator this season and has been part of the staff since 2022, was named interim head coach Dec. 9 after Tim Albin’s departure to Charlotte. Smith will receive a five-year contract from the school, according to a source.

Ohio, which won the MAC to claim its first conference title since 1968, is set to face Jacksonville State on Friday at the StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Bobcats led the MAC in scoring, yards per game and rushing this season.

“He presented a plan for not only sustaining our culture and foundation but also building upon it in the evolving landscape of college football,” athletic director Julie Cromer said in a statement. “He prioritizes our student-athletes’ experiences and shares our common goals of developing leaders, graduating students, unifying our community and amplifying our university.”

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Smith, 44, came to Ohio as running backs coach and passing game coordinator in 2022 and added the associate head coach title in 2023. He was Washington State’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach in 2020 and 2021 and also has coordinator experience from Hawai’i, working under Nick Rolovich at both schools.

Smith is a former offensive lineman and long snapper at Hawai’i who had two coaching stints at his alma mater, as well as stops at Cal Lutheran, Occidental, Portland State and Oregon State.

Ohio has won 10 games for the past three seasons under Albin and has been one of the more consistent Group of 5 programs, going 144-94 since the start of the 2006 season.



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