Robert Celt
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A battle over medical marijuana may not be whether it should become legalized in Ohio - but how.
Two groups have different views on who should decide its fate.
Ohio lawmakers have sent a bill to the house that would make medical marijuana legal, but at the same time, there are groups out there working to get the issue on the November ballot to let all Ohio voters decide.
Ohioans for Medical Marijuana started a campaign to legalize it before it made its way to the statehouse.
But, while its passage in house committee may appear to be a victory, there are some major differences in the bill, and the organizations ballot initiative.
"Every day, all day, all I can think about is when I'm going to get my next relief," Dane Griffith said. "I don't get to enjoy life."
Griffith has been dealing with psoriasis since he was in fifth grade. But in the last few years, he started having severe joint pain. Now, only 25 years old, he said it's a condition that's getting worse.
"I have systemic issues in my spine that my immune system is attacking a lot of those tissues," Griffith said.
Griffith is taking 13 medications including over the counter several times daily to help ease some of his pain.
"Currently, I take the muscle relaxer, the nerve pill, antidepressant in the morning, instead, I could just take marijuana," Griffith said.
"We're doing this campaign for people like Dane," Ohioans for Medical Marijuana spokesperson Aaron Marshall said.
Because of the organizations ballot initiative, Marshall says lawmakers felt they needed to do something to "pre-empt" their efforts.
"We hope that we can get a substantive, real, medical marijuana bill, but right now, it's just not it," Marshall said. "The houses legislation - there is no home grow provision, and the implementation of their system would take up to two years."
He said their initiative would have regulation and oversight in it, but would also allow for immediate access to medical marijuana, if voters say the same.
"It's for medicinal purposes only," State Rep. Dan Ramos said. "There's actually going to be quite a lot of actual regulation."
But, Marshall said regulations and restrictions as outlined in the bill will tie the hands of doctors; something that concerns people like Griffith.
"I want to be able to get up and go to work every day and not fight about trying to get medical care, and not fight about trying to get my pain taken care of," Griffith said.
And, even if the bill passes in its current form, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana will continue to move forward with their campaign.
"We don't think that a flawed, bad law should stop our momentum on this issue," Marshall said.
The organization still has a ways to go. They need 300,000 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot in November.
Right now, Marshall says they currently have more than 10,000. Their deadline is July 6.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio: Examining Differences Between Statehouse Bill & Ballot Plan
Author: Evan Anderson
Photo Credit: None found
Website: 10TV
Two groups have different views on who should decide its fate.
Ohio lawmakers have sent a bill to the house that would make medical marijuana legal, but at the same time, there are groups out there working to get the issue on the November ballot to let all Ohio voters decide.
Ohioans for Medical Marijuana started a campaign to legalize it before it made its way to the statehouse.
But, while its passage in house committee may appear to be a victory, there are some major differences in the bill, and the organizations ballot initiative.
"Every day, all day, all I can think about is when I'm going to get my next relief," Dane Griffith said. "I don't get to enjoy life."
Griffith has been dealing with psoriasis since he was in fifth grade. But in the last few years, he started having severe joint pain. Now, only 25 years old, he said it's a condition that's getting worse.
"I have systemic issues in my spine that my immune system is attacking a lot of those tissues," Griffith said.
Griffith is taking 13 medications including over the counter several times daily to help ease some of his pain.
"Currently, I take the muscle relaxer, the nerve pill, antidepressant in the morning, instead, I could just take marijuana," Griffith said.
"We're doing this campaign for people like Dane," Ohioans for Medical Marijuana spokesperson Aaron Marshall said.
Because of the organizations ballot initiative, Marshall says lawmakers felt they needed to do something to "pre-empt" their efforts.
"We hope that we can get a substantive, real, medical marijuana bill, but right now, it's just not it," Marshall said. "The houses legislation - there is no home grow provision, and the implementation of their system would take up to two years."
He said their initiative would have regulation and oversight in it, but would also allow for immediate access to medical marijuana, if voters say the same.
"It's for medicinal purposes only," State Rep. Dan Ramos said. "There's actually going to be quite a lot of actual regulation."
But, Marshall said regulations and restrictions as outlined in the bill will tie the hands of doctors; something that concerns people like Griffith.
"I want to be able to get up and go to work every day and not fight about trying to get medical care, and not fight about trying to get my pain taken care of," Griffith said.
And, even if the bill passes in its current form, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana will continue to move forward with their campaign.
"We don't think that a flawed, bad law should stop our momentum on this issue," Marshall said.
The organization still has a ways to go. They need 300,000 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot in November.
Right now, Marshall says they currently have more than 10,000. Their deadline is July 6.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio: Examining Differences Between Statehouse Bill & Ballot Plan
Author: Evan Anderson
Photo Credit: None found
Website: 10TV
