Newark Voters Will Decide Fate Of Marijuana Legalization Measure In November

The Licking County Board of Elections says backers of an effort to decriminalize marijuana have collected enough valid petition signatures to get on the November ballot. The East Central Ohio Decriminalization Initiative  would make possession of less than 200 grams a minor misdemeanor, with no fines, incarceration, probation or other punitive punishment. Backers say it would address a discrepancy between Newark’s law and state law, and will permit law enforcement to address more serious problems.