Ohio marijuana legalization effort misses signature target

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted (HYOO’-sted) announced Monday that about 276,000 of signatures submitted by the group ResponsibleOhio were valid. However, in other areas, the signature validity rate is falling short. They collected signatures from 73 counties.

A group that wants to legalize medical and recreational use of marijuana in Ohio has ten more days to come up with the signatures needed for a place on the ballot.

However, a 10-day “cure period” could give ResponsibleOhio time to fill the gap and put the issue before voters.

Officials say more than half of the signatures weren’t registered or didn’t have a valid address. When a voter’s address on a ballot petition doesn’t match the one at the board of elections, the signature is invalid for the petition.

The constitutional a constitutional amendment being pursued by ResponsibleOhio would also designate 10 sites in Ohio where pot could be manufactured. The proposal limits the commercial cultivation of marijuana to 10 farms as a way for the state to tightly regulate the growth, production and sale of the crop. If it does make the ballot it will be joined by another measure that would prevent the initiative, and others that create for-profit-monopolies, from being allowed in Ohio.