Is medical marijuana legalization inevitable in Ohio? It is starting to look that way.
Opponents are in the minority, and are fighting a two-front war against a growing ballot initiative,and direct action by the state legislature.
Rep. Bob Hagan (D) has introduced legislation that would allow patients to grow their own medicine or designate a caregiver to grow their marijuana for them. Similar laws exist in 21 other states, and more are joining them.
If the lawmakers don’t do it, the people may, as advocacy groups are gearing up for petition drives that would put a medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot. The Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment would allow approved patients to grow marijuana and give farmers the right to produce hemp.
The Ohio Rights Group just announced that they’ve got enough signatures collected in 30 of Ohio’s 44 counties to get on the ballot this November.
Some are critical of the Amendment, saying the wording is vague. As written, it would allow those diagnosed with AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy access, but also those with severe pain, depression, muscle spasms, and “any additional medical condition”.
“Everybody has a diagnosis of something,” said Marci Deidel of Ohio Drug Free Action Alliance. “When I read that ballot language to me it’s basically full legalization.”
In order to get the Amendment on the ballot, we will need more than 385,000 signatures by July 2. It will take a serious effort from advocacy groups, who plan on aggressively targeting voters as they come out of next month’s primary election booths.
News Debate Goes Viral
What happens when you hold a debate on the legalization of marijuana and the person opposed doesn’t show up? That sort of what the Dayton City Paper was wondering when they took out two pages of a recent issue to dedicate to the cannabis debate and they couldn’t find someone to write in opposition.
A photo of the newspaper, one side filled with debate in favor of marijuana legalization and the other mostly empty with a small note from the editor, has gone viral and is a great example of what marijuana advocates think of opposition arguments.
“On behalf of the Dayton City Paper staff, we apologize, but we were unable to locate a debate writer who was able to submit a view opposed to legalization of marijuana in Ohio at this time,” reads the editor’s note.
But there are people opposed—both to recreational marijuana and medical marijuana, the latter of which stands a chance of getting passed this year.
“We are in this to win it,” said Mary Jane Borden of Ohio Rights Group. “We will do what it takes to win and we’ll choose our path depending on our best winning strategy.”
For now, however, marijuana possession remains against the law in Ohio no matter your diagnosis or situation.
Legalize marijuana for those 21years old and older. We need the tax money. If teenagers do smoke it then they would probably drink alcohol if marijuana is not available. There would probably be less crime.
Colorado is proving that the negative consequences of legalization are hard to find. Crime is down, tax revenues are up.
I think this law would benefit many people from young to old there are many things this drug could replace as far as all the med,s that people have to take from Alzheimer’s to depression to cancer and it’s a shame that the drug company’s are against this because loss of money from there pockets if the benefits out way the negatives why don’t we care more about the patients than our pockets I’m not into the politics I’m into the into the cures….
Legalize it! look at the facts since legalization in colorado the crime rate has dropped by more than 50% and the money ohio can profit of of it is outrageous hell…even washington DC has medical marijuana and its out Nations capital? who woulda thought that DC would be legal before ohio? LETS GO OHIO WE CAN DO THIS
~ORG Volunteer~
Exactly. Thanks hezekiah for your volunteering and making a difference!