Campaign finance filings show backers spent more than $21 million on a losing fall campaign to legalize marijuana in Ohio for personal and medical use.
Figures reported to Secretary of State Jon HustedFriday showed most of the nearly $12 million ResponsibleOhio raised from July to October came from 10 contributing entities listed under corporate names. About 250 people gave individual contributions during the period. Their contributions of $2 to $200 totaled less than $8,000. Filings showed Ohioans Against Marijuana Monopolies raised and spent about $2.1 million. Its opposition campaign centered on the proposal's creation of 10 exclusive marijuana growing sites.
Approval of Issue 3 would have made Ohio the first state nationally to take marijuana from illegal to fully legal in a single vote.