An Ohio-based marijuana group offers its knowledge to help with campaigns to decriminalize marijuana in West Virginia and South Carolina. In addition, they are assisting these states in getting cannabis decriminalization on the local ballots for 2022.

Notably, the Ohio marijuana group is a part of a national non-profit organization, the Sensible Movement Coalition (SMC).  In fact, this national organization has different chapters in 40 states. 

SMC is an Educational Non-Profit Organization. They focus on providing aid to citizens that pursue their Constitutional rights of Home Rule locally. They work throughout the country in 40 states that allow Home Rule. 

The Ohio-based group has focused and pushed for reforms solely within Ohio. Their track record shows multiple examples of success in getting decriminalization on local ballots. 

SMC-Ohio Helping Neighboring States

The Ohio-based Sensible Movement Coalition is now lending a helping hand to other activist-led campaigns in neighboring conservative states. 

Bill Schmitt Jr., a director of SMC, talked about the progress organizers have made in McMechen, West Virginia. Currently, they have collected three-fourths of the total signatures required to qualify for a reform measure for the ballot. He also expects they will submit multiple petitions to officials later in the week. 

2021 is a unique year because, for the first time, SMC is expanding its outreach by teaming up with out-of-state activists. SMC utilizes home rule statutes and teaches others how to enact local policy changes. They also provide materials and models for language on decriminalization that has proven to be effective. 

“Our job is to educate the citizens on how they can use their rights to change the laws themselves,” Moyer said. “We explain what home rule is and the right to self-rule because a lot of people misunderstand that. They don’t realize that they have the right to petition to change their local laws.”

Schmitt continues to work to help cities in Ohio decriminalize cannabis possession. But he said West Virginia “shouldn’t be left out on this movement.” Currently, West Virginia has severe penalties in place for marijuana offenses. He said that voters in West Virginia are “ready for a progressive marijuana law.”

On the other hand, in 2019, residents in Salem, West Virginia, did reject a decriminalization initiative. But then again, the governor said in March that he would support legalization reform for marijuana if the legislature sent a bill to him. 

In South Carolina, SMC is targeting four cities: Charleston, Folly Beach, Myrtle Beach, and St. James Island.

In West Virginia, SMC is targeting four cities: Clarksburg, McMechen, Salem, and Wheeling. 

SMC Progress in Ohio

On top of the progress made in West Virginia, SMC is actively supporting local Ohio campaigns. So far, 22 jurisdictions have adopted local statutes, reducing the penalty for low-level marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to the lowest allowable sentence by state law. 

Also, in Ohio last month, the Murray City board of elections certified signatures to place a decriminalization initiative on the ballot. 

An SMC board member, Julie Moyer, said that there are around 100 Ohio cities with active reform petitions and campaigns in the process. They are all at varying stages to get on the ballot. 

Last year, in 2020, Ohio activists tried to place a marijuana legalization initiative on the state ballot. Unfortunately for activists, their efforts were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The health restrictions that followed created a problematic barrier for gathering signatures, and they were unable to collect the required number of signatures.

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