Ohio & Mahoning Valley - Marijuana will be one of many issues Ohioans will be voting on in Ohio's November 2023 election.

Tuesday afternoon, the organization known as the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 222,198 signatures of Ohio voters from all 88 counties to the Secretary of State, exceeding the requirements to appear on the ballot.

Organization spokesperson Tom Haren says if this issue is passed, marijuana will be regulated just like alcoholic products, meaning adults age 21 and over may legally purchase marijuana products for recreational use.

So far, 23 states have enacted measures to regulate marijuana for adult use. If this issue is passed, Ohio will be the 24th state to allow for this.

"This isn't groundbreaking. We're just trying to get Ohio in line with neighbors like Michigan and Illinois," Haren said.

If passed, the Department of Commerce would pose a new 10% tax on adult-use marijuana sales, generating new tax revenue that will be reinvested into local communities.

The next step is for the Coalition to wait for the Secretary of State and Board of Elections to verify the signatures. Once all signatures are verified, the issue will appear on the November 2023 election ballot.