By Noelle Skodzinski

People often say that no publicity is bad publicity, but the latest news around ResponsibleOhio—which recently submitted signatures to get an initiative on the November election ballot to legalize and regulate marijuana in The Buckeye State—does not seem to bode well for ResponsibleOhio’s already contentious legalization efforts. ResponsibleOhio, however, is crying foul, suggesting it’s being “punished.”

ResponsibleOhio is now under investigation by the office of the Ohio Secretary of State. “Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today named David Bowers to serve as a special investigator to review discrepancies in the petitions submitted by ResponsibleOhio in their effort to place a constitutional amendment before voters this fall,” according to a press release issued Wednesday by Husted’s office.

“Significant disparities remain between the number of petitions and signatures ResponsibleOhio claimed to have collected and the number the group actually submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office,” explains the press release....