COLUMBUS, Ohio — A coalition aiming to launch a referendum campaign on Senate Bill 56 took the first step in the process Monday to block the sweeping marijuana and hemp regulations from taking effect.

Ohioans for Cannabis Choice announced Monday that the group submitted initial petition signatures in their effort to challenge the law signed by Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this month.

“In filing our petitions today, we are taking a stand for Ohioans against politicians in Columbus and saying no to the government overreach of SB 56,” Wesley Bryant, a petitioner and owner of 420 Craft Beverages in Cleveland said in a statement.

The Ohio Constitution grants Ohioans the ability to overturn a law passed by the General Assembly through a citizen-led referendum. The first step in the process is to file an initial written petition signed by at least 1,000 Ohio registered voters to both the Secretary of State and the Attorney General for certification. Along with the signatures, the initial petition contains a title, a summary of the legislation being referred, and a copy of the bill or section of the bill.

If the petition is certified by both offices, the group can begin gathering signatures to qualify for the ballot – but it will be a tall order.

For starters, petitioners don’t have much time. The group has until the law takes effect in mid-March to collect and submit signatures equal to 6% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election, or roughly 250,000. Those signatures must come from at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

If the referendum is approved, SB 56 will not take effect until a statewide vote on the legislation can be held. The referendum would appear on the next general election ballot, with a majority vote needed to block the law.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB 56 into law on Dec. 19, which will regulate intoxicating hemp products, including hemp beverages, and makes some adjustments to Ohio’s recreational marijuana laws.

The campaign insists the legislation defies the will of the voters who passed Issue 2 in 2023 legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

“SB 56 forcefully defies the will of the voters of Ohio, who spoke clearly on this issue, and denies the people of Ohio the freedom to use these products for their personal use,” Dennis Willard, spokesperson for the coalition, said in a text message after the group’s launch.