Advocates who want to block Ohio’s new marijuana and hemp law are relying on breweries and smoke shops to help them get the job done.
Ohioans for Cannabis Choice must collect nearly 250,000 signatures from 44 counties by March 19 for their proposed referendum over Senate Bill 56. The law, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in December, will ban THC drinks, limit hemp-derived cannabis products and change the recreational marijuana program voters approved in 2023.
The group began signature collection in February and enlisted support from Ohio Petitioning Partners and California-based consultant Michael Arno. Dozens of people submitted paperwork indicating they were being paid to collect signatures, according to records obtained from the secretary of state’s office.
But Ohioans for Cannabis Choice recently paused the paid work “as we assess our number of paid signatures and we put our arms around our volunteer collection numbers,” spokesperson Dennis Willard said.
Ballot campaigns often use paid collectors to ensure they get enough signatures on a tight timeline, while complying with state’s strict rules for petitions. Willard said the group wants to be prudent with its money and capitalize on volunteer support.
“We feel very good where we are right now, and we will reinitiate our paid collection efforts at the appropriate time to get past the finish line,” Willard said.
This is where the businesses come in.
The group’s website advertises more than 50 signing locations across Ohio, many of which will take a hit if Senate Bill 56 becomes law. The list includes hydroponic gardening stores, shops that sell hemp flower and edibles, and breweries that offer THC drinks.
Willard said Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland will also start collecting signatures.
“We’re the ones on the front lines that are going to jump on the grenade,” said Columbus Botanical Depot owner Joe Brennan, whose store is a signing location. “We should be the people doing this. All of our customers are also going to be the ones suffering.”
After the March 19 deadline, Ohioans for Cannabis Choice will have 10 days to get more signatures if they fall short of the referendum requirements. If successful, voters will decide in November whether they support the changes to Ohio’s hemp and marijuana law.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
Tell us what you think about effort to put hemp/marijuana issue on Ohio ballot
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio breweries, smoke shops collecting signatures to stop new hemp law
Reporting by Haley BeMiller, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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