The campaign for a ballot initiative to legalize pot released a new ad in support of this policy change on Friday. Attorney General Dave Yost, (R), published an analysis on the initiative to give voters “vital transparency and clarity” in a campaign marked by “inflamed” and “inaccurate” rhetoric.
The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (the main backer of Issue 2), in a new advertisement, makes two main arguments. First, that Ohio’s current medical marijuana law does not provide enough cannabis to some patients. Second is that legalization could bring in “hundreds and millions of dollars in tax revenue.”
The ad states that despite Ohio’s medical marijuana law, “many patients are still unable to obtain the medicine they require,” adding that “many travel to Michigan in order to do so.”
The ad cites a recent study by Ohio State University researchers who estimate that the state can receive between 257 million dollars and more than 400 million dollars annually through tax revenue. It says this money could be used to pay for “public safety, road maintenance and drug treatment.”
In a press statement, campaign spokesperson Tom Haren stated that Ohioans deserved to hear the truth regarding Issue 2. “With so many misinformations and lies coming from other sides, Ohioans deserve the truth about this issue,” he said. “Our message is focused on the people who depend on Issue 2 and the benefits for Ohio and local communities,” said campaign spokesperson Tom Haren in a press release.
The campaign stated that some patients, such as veterans who are under the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) care and cannot get a recommendation for medical marijuana from their primary physician or “cancer-afflicted Ohioans” being treated by major medical systems, face significant barriers in accessing medical cannabis in the state. “Passage Issue 2 will resolve this problem.”
In the early part of the week, Yes on Issue 2 attacked TV ads in Ohio and West Virginia for making false claims about proposed reform. The group’s attorney sent cease-and-desist letters to stations to try to stop the broadcast of the two spots.
Early voting in Ohio begins on Wednesday, after the official close of voter registration on Tuesday.
Local reports refer to Yost’s analysis as ” unusual ” and ” unheard of “, since the Attorney General is not required by law to create such a document.
Yost has also released an analysis of Issue 1 – a separate initiative that focuses on reproductive health and abortion rights. Some believe the analysis is advocacy. They note Yost’s opposition to marijuana and his previous reticence around abortion. But his office’s announcement on Friday refuted those accusations.
Yost stated that this was not an advocacy exercise. It is a way to educate Ohioans about the legal implications that Issues 1 and 2 have.
He said that his office would be “obliged to defend every part of the law where possible” if either issue passed.
He said that his office would offer the best possible legal defenses, but that he believed that Ohioans owed them both information and a strong defence later.
Yost’s four-page cannabis legalization analysis is fairly straightforward. The four-page analysis outlines what the initiative would allow, and how it would be regulated.
The document does not mention any potential obstacles to legalization, despite Yost’s concerns. The document notes that marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and that “Issue 2, would not change this classification and could not override federal laws.”
The analysis admits that the federal government can still criminally prosecute those who violate federal marijuana law, even if they follow Ohio marijuana laws. However, it does not mention the state’s potential liability if they violate federal law.
The analysis makes a few speculations, including that the illicit cannabis market in the state would not disappear entirely because the ballot measure would set limits on the legalization of marijuana products.
Yost’s Office said that Issue 2 would define what marijuana products can be sold, and limit the total amount of tetrahydrocannabinol in all marijuana products. The proposal will not eliminate the black market because Issue 2 places restrictions on marijuana.
Measure on November 7th ballot:
- This initiative will allow adults over 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces (or 15 grams) of marijuana. They can also have up until 10 grams of marijuana concentrates.
- Each individual could grow six plants to use for their own personal needs, and a maximum of 12 plants in a household.
- The 10 percent tax on cannabis sales would go to fund social equity and job programs (36%), localities who allow adult-use marijuana businesses to operate in their areas (36%), education and drug misuse programs (25%), and administrative costs for implementing the system (3%).
- The Department of Commerce would establish a Division of Cannabis Control. The division would be able to “license and regulate adult-use cannabis operators, adult-use testing laboratories, as well as individuals who are required to have a license.”
- This measure will give current medical cannabis businesses an advantage in the recreational cannabis market. Within nine months after the law’s enactment, regulators would have to start issuing adult use licenses to applicants who are qualified and operate medical cannabis operations.
- The division will also have to issue 50 adult-use retail licenses, and 40 recreational cultivator licences. This is “with preference given to applicants who are participating in the cannabis social equality and jobs program”.
- Municipalities could opt not to allow new recreational cannabis businesses to open in their region, but existing medical marijuana companies would still be allowed to operate in the same area. Employers can also enforce policies that prohibit workers from using cannabis for adult purposes.
- The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services would also be required to enter into an agreement to provide “cannabis-addiction services,” including “education and treatment” for those with addiction issues to cannabis, or other controlled substances such as opioids.
- Some advocates worry about the lack specific language regarding automatic expungements, which would clear the records for people who have convictions from crimes that would become legal under the new legislation. The measure includes a clause requiring regulators “to study and fund” criminal reform initiatives, including expungements.
A survey conducted by the campaign, published last month, found that nearly 3 in 5 state voters support adult-use marijuana legalization.
Republicans in Ohio are divided over the issue. Gov. Mike DeWine stated in August that it would be “a real mistake” for us to have recreational cannabis. He added that he had visited Colorado after its legalization in 2012, and seen what he called an “unmitigated catastrophe.”
Last year, Sen. John Hickenlooper, who was Colorado’s governor in 2012 and was a Democrat, stated that he had initially been concerned that legalization might encourage more young people to use drugs, but now believes that these worries were unfounded.
“I believe we have proven and shown that there has been no increase in teenagers’ experimentation with drugs.” Hickenlooper stated that there was no change in the frequency of use or driving while high. “All of the things that we were most concerned about didn’t happen.”
The policy change is supported by one of Ohio’s Republican members of Congress. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-OH, co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus told Marijuana Moment earlier that the representative is “supportive of the measure and intends to vote yes”.
If the initiative is passed, the number of states that have legalized adult use will increase to 24.
Ohio voters rejected the 2015 measure on 64-36, which would have changed the state constitution to legalize pot and give the control of the market a small group producers. The organizers of the current campaign claim that they have learned lessons from the failure when crafting the current initiative.
In May , bipartisan Ohio legislators submitted a separate bill for legalizing marijuana. This gave the Ohio legislature another chance to lead the way on reform. It has not yet advanced, but now it is up to the voters to decide.
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The post State AG Releases New Analysis Ahead of Early Voting on Marijuana in Ohio and Campaign Launches a TV Ad first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
