Ohio Legalizes Recreational Marijuana and Protects Abortion Rights; Santorum Criticises Pure Democracies

Ohio becomes 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana amid criticisms; new constitutional amendment effectively secures abortion rights while voters reject GOP measures aimed at restricting state constitutional amendments.

Ohio has become the 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana and has incorporated abortion rights into the state constitution, as decided by voters.
The approval of the measures were criticized by former Republican Senator Rick Santorum, who expressed disapproval for 'pure democracies' where voters make key decisions.
Santorum attributed the Democrats' victory in Ohio to the inclusion of 'sexy' issues like marijuana and abortion on the ballots, which appealed to young voters.
Voters in Ohio also rejected a Republican-led attempt to make it harder to amend the state constitution, a move aimed at preventing the abortion amendment.
The outcome in Ohio reflects a broader trend of states confronting abortion laws since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the previous year, with seven states, including Ohio, approving protections for abortion rights.