Medical marijuana push nearer to November ballot

Efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio are moving ahead, with a group submitting signatures to Attorney General Mike DeWine's office. And that could launch the petition collection process in time for the November 2012 ballot, the Associated Press reports.
Backers of the “Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment” submitted 2,143 signatures summarizing the proposed amendment, which would allow those with qualifying illnesses to possess up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana, the news service reported. DeWine's office must validate at least 1,000 of those signatures and certify that the summary language is a fair representation of the amendment.
Should summary language be approved, backers must then begin collecting at least 385,245 valid signatures to make it to next year's ballot. Supporters say a win would open doors to medical treatment, while opponents worry it will create an enforcement problem.
State lawmakers in Indiana also are studying whether the state should decriminalize the use of marijuana or create a program that would allow people to use the drug to relieve pain.