Ohio voters legalized marijuana: What that means for the country
- Ohio voters chose to support the legalization of marijuana during Tuesday's vote
- This may boost the movement for legalization elsewhere in the country
- But opponents continue to argue that the drug is dangerous
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 1: Tyler Williams of Blanchester, Ohio selects marijuana strains to purchase at the 3-D Denver Discrete Dispensary on January 1, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. Legalization of recreational marijuana sales in the state went into effect at 8am this morning. (Photo by Theo Stroomer/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Ohio became the 24th state to legalize the use of recreational marijuana after the state’s voters passed a ballot referendum on Tuesday night.
The referendum was the second time in recent years that Ohio’s voters had a chance to weigh in on the issue, with a 2015 vote failing to legalize marijuana.
The change in public opinion between 2015 and 2023 may echo a wider national shift, as the nation grows more supportive of legalizing and regulating the use of recreational marijuana rather than banning it.
The latest Gallup poll finds 70% of Americans support legalizing marijuana; in 2015, that percentage was 58%.
The pro-marijuana legalization group the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws praised the passage of the referendum.
“Ohioans have seen similar legalization laws adopted in neighboring states and they know that regulating the cannabis market is preferable to the failed policy of prohibition,” it said.
Douglas Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University who runs the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center there, noted Ohio is a “bellwether” state, meaning results from Ohio’s elections often have a real impact on politics elsewhere in the country.
He predicted the passage of the referendum would have a “ripple effect through much of our region.” The polling cited above suggests that much of the country is on its way to embracing legalization.
However, opponents of marijuana legalization aren’t deterred by shifts in public opinion. They continue to argue that marijuana’s risks outweigh its benefits.
This past September, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Paul Larkin argued at a national debate that legalizing marijuana could have dangerous outcomes.
“You legalize it, you’re gonna have an increase in the number of people they’re gonna get behind the wheel of a car, there are gonna be crashes that lead to fatalities or other adverse consequences,” he said.