We are not a framework of monopoly type…We’re not going have any mascots.”
By Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio voters will have another chance to legalize cannabis on November 7, eight years after Ohioans rejected a constitutional amendment that would make cannabis legal.
There are some important differences between them.
In 2015, Issue 3 was a constitutional amendment proposal. Today’s Issue 2 concerns a citizen initiated statute or law.
Morgan Fox, the political director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said: “Because of this, it allows the legislature to have a lot more flexibility to change the specifics of the law through further legislation.”
ResponsibleOhio, a political action committee, spent $21.5 millions on the 2015 Issue 3 Campaign. The campaign was overwhelmingly defeated by 64 percent to 36%.
Issue 2, which will be on the ballot this year, would regulate and legalize the production, testing, and sale of marijuana for Ohioans aged 21 and older. The issue would also allow Ohioans over 21 to grow marijuana at home with a maximum of six plants and twelve plants per residence. A 10 percent tax will be imposed on each sale.
This year’s ballot initiative is backed by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
Issue 3: The Oligopoly
Another major difference between the two is the oligopoly–essentially a marijuana monopoly–that the defeated Issue 3 would have created. The issue would have given “exclusive rights” to commercial marijuana cultivation, extraction and growth on ten predetermined plots of land.
Fox stated that “that absolutely rubbed the people in the wrong way. Even supporters of legalization.”
Don Wirtshafter is an Athens lawyer who supports legalization of marijuana and curates the Cannabis Museum of Ohio. He calls himself one the most vocal opponents to the failed Issue 3
He said that “2015 was basically a power-play by one group of financiers, who created 10 number companies. The initiative would have given these anonymous corporations powered by anonymous cash the monopoly over growing and selling marijuana in Ohio.”
Wirtshafter will vote yes in this year’s attempt to legalize marijuana. He has “gone from being a vocal no voter to an enthusiastic yes voting.”
Ohioans, who voted in 2015 to legalize marijuana, also passed a constitutional change that forbids any “monopoly, cartel or oligopoly” from being established in the state constitution.
Tom Haren said, “We could not be more different from the 2015 Constitutional Amendment,” a spokesperson of the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. “We do not have a monopoly framework.” We are building on an existing medical marijuana system that has hundreds of licenses.”
If voters approve legalization, existing medical marijuana cultivators or dispensaries could obtain a license for adult use.
Mascots
Buddie, the mascot of 2015’s campaign to legalize marijuana, was a superhero-like character with a marijuana bud as a head.
Buddie, which was meant to attract college students’ support, instead attracted criticism from child advocacy groups who were concerned that the marketing targeted children.
Haren stated that “we’re not going have any mascots”.
What has changed since 2015?
Since 2015, marijuana has seen a lot of changes.
At the time, only four states–Alaska Colorado Oregon Washington–had legalized recreational marijuana. Today, 23 States and Washington D.C. allow the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Ohio legalized medical cannabis in 2016, and the first dispensary was opened in 2019. According to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, 101 dispensaries received certificates of operations and 34 had active provisional licenses by August 24.
Haren stated that “2015 was an eternity ago when it comes to cannabis policy. Since then, we’ve seen states implement the program successfully. Some have done so better than others. But we’ve seen our medical marijuana programs success.”
Ohio has 23 cultivators who have been granted Level I Provisional Licenses. 21 of them have also received Certificates of Operation. Fourteen cultivators have been granted Level II provisional licensing and thirteen have received certificates of operations.
As of July 31, there were 800,682 recommendations for medical marijuana patients (a patient may have more than one recommendation). 384,705 registered patients and 178 709 patients had both an active registration as well as an active recommendation.
Marijuana polling
A Suffolk University/USA Today survey conducted in July shows that 59 percent support Ohioans aged 21 and over buying and possessing cannabis. The poll showed that 77 percent supported the issue, while 63 percent were independents.
The Suffolk University/USA Today survey surveyed 500 Ohio registered voters by phone. The margin of error for this poll is +/-4.4 percentage points.
Haren stated that the biggest difference is that they will be voting no in November.
This article was originally published by The Ohio Capital Journal.
A Majority Of Ohio Voters–Including Most Republicans–Support Marijuana Legalization Initiative On November Ballot, New Survey Finds
The post Ohio’s Marijuana Legalization campaign Draws on Lessons Learned from 2015 Initiative that Voters Rejected first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
