Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine said Friday that his office is reviewing how other states have handled the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, in advance of potential action by legislators or voters.
DeWine stopped well short of endorsing medical marijuana - while opposing recreational usage, he said he has not taken a position yet on medical uses of the drug. But he said any move to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio should be limited and tightly regulated.
"What we're looking at is whether you could craft a bill or a constitutional amendment that was strictly crafted so that it would not be abused," he said.
DeWine cited Colorado, where both recreational and medical marijuana are legal. He said many people there opt to go the latter route, obtaining prescriptions for the drug and thereby avoiding paying taxes on the purchases.
"What the fear is in regard to medical marijuana is if there is such a hole or loophole in the law that we're back at pill mills like we've had in Ohio operating ostensibly under the law," he said. "... That's the concern. We know that there are people who believe marijuana is a help to them. We know also that there are doctors who believe that."
DeWine also voiced support for a proposal from Republican state Auditor Dave Yost to reform the process for citizen-initiated amendments to the state constitution.
Yost is concerned that ballot issues, like the marijuana legalization effort headed by ResponsibleOhio, are providing a means of amending the constitution to economically benefit selected groups.
ResponsibleOhio wants to create a control commission to regulate marijuana production and sales in the state. The amendment outlines 10 sites where marijuana could be grown and five testing facilities to check drug supplies for potency and safety.
Retail sales of the drug would be taxed at 5 percent, while growers and processors would pay a 15 percent tax on their purchases.
The ballot language also would allow anyone 21 or older to grow up to four marijuana plants at home, as long as they have obtained permits in advance and the growing area is secure.
The group has to collect more than 300,000 petition signatures by early July in order to qualify for the November ballot. Backers say they already have 320,000 signatures in hand.
The marijuana issue and an earlier amendment that paved the way for Ohio's casinos effectively limited "competition and supply, thus maintaining profitability for the privileged few to gain constitutional status," Yost told an Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission committee earlier this month.
He added, "The constitution shouldn't be somebody's paycheck. The constitutional initiative - a process that was designed to protect the many against the powerful few - has been hijacked by the powerful few."
DeWine said Yost's ideas on the issue are "very good."
"I think the idea that people can put enough money together so they can get something on the ballot that would directly benefit their pocketbook I think is just outrageous," he said. "... What we're looking at now is a potentially unlimited amount of money being spent in the fall by a group of people who have a lot of money and who want a lot more money. It's disgusting."
ResponsibleOhio defended its proposal Friday.
"For over 18 years, medical marijuana legislation has failed to move anywhere in the Legislature," spokeswoman Lydia Bolander said in a released statement. "We appreciate that the attorney general is becoming more open-minded on this issue, but Ohioans with debilitating medical conditions cannot continue to wait for the compassionate care that marijuana can provide."
She added, "ResponsibleOhio's amendment creates a system that will work for doctors and their patients. We've seen what's happened in other states - both what has worked and what has failed. Under our proposal, legal marijuana for medical and personal use will be tightly regulated, thoroughly tested and appropriately taxed, making it a model for other states in the future."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio reviewing how other states handled medical marijuana legalization - Alliance Review | Stark, Portage & Mahoning, OH
Author: Marc Kovac
Contact: mkovac@dixcom.com
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Alliance Review | Stark County | News, Sports, Classifieds
DeWine stopped well short of endorsing medical marijuana - while opposing recreational usage, he said he has not taken a position yet on medical uses of the drug. But he said any move to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio should be limited and tightly regulated.
"What we're looking at is whether you could craft a bill or a constitutional amendment that was strictly crafted so that it would not be abused," he said.
DeWine cited Colorado, where both recreational and medical marijuana are legal. He said many people there opt to go the latter route, obtaining prescriptions for the drug and thereby avoiding paying taxes on the purchases.
"What the fear is in regard to medical marijuana is if there is such a hole or loophole in the law that we're back at pill mills like we've had in Ohio operating ostensibly under the law," he said. "... That's the concern. We know that there are people who believe marijuana is a help to them. We know also that there are doctors who believe that."
DeWine also voiced support for a proposal from Republican state Auditor Dave Yost to reform the process for citizen-initiated amendments to the state constitution.
Yost is concerned that ballot issues, like the marijuana legalization effort headed by ResponsibleOhio, are providing a means of amending the constitution to economically benefit selected groups.
ResponsibleOhio wants to create a control commission to regulate marijuana production and sales in the state. The amendment outlines 10 sites where marijuana could be grown and five testing facilities to check drug supplies for potency and safety.
Retail sales of the drug would be taxed at 5 percent, while growers and processors would pay a 15 percent tax on their purchases.
The ballot language also would allow anyone 21 or older to grow up to four marijuana plants at home, as long as they have obtained permits in advance and the growing area is secure.
The group has to collect more than 300,000 petition signatures by early July in order to qualify for the November ballot. Backers say they already have 320,000 signatures in hand.
The marijuana issue and an earlier amendment that paved the way for Ohio's casinos effectively limited "competition and supply, thus maintaining profitability for the privileged few to gain constitutional status," Yost told an Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission committee earlier this month.
He added, "The constitution shouldn't be somebody's paycheck. The constitutional initiative - a process that was designed to protect the many against the powerful few - has been hijacked by the powerful few."
DeWine said Yost's ideas on the issue are "very good."
"I think the idea that people can put enough money together so they can get something on the ballot that would directly benefit their pocketbook I think is just outrageous," he said. "... What we're looking at now is a potentially unlimited amount of money being spent in the fall by a group of people who have a lot of money and who want a lot more money. It's disgusting."
ResponsibleOhio defended its proposal Friday.
"For over 18 years, medical marijuana legislation has failed to move anywhere in the Legislature," spokeswoman Lydia Bolander said in a released statement. "We appreciate that the attorney general is becoming more open-minded on this issue, but Ohioans with debilitating medical conditions cannot continue to wait for the compassionate care that marijuana can provide."
She added, "ResponsibleOhio's amendment creates a system that will work for doctors and their patients. We've seen what's happened in other states - both what has worked and what has failed. Under our proposal, legal marijuana for medical and personal use will be tightly regulated, thoroughly tested and appropriately taxed, making it a model for other states in the future."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio reviewing how other states handled medical marijuana legalization - Alliance Review | Stark, Portage & Mahoning, OH
Author: Marc Kovac
Contact: mkovac@dixcom.com
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Alliance Review | Stark County | News, Sports, Classifieds
