Robert Celt
New Member
The first stab at getting a medical marijuana amendment on Ohio's ballot has failed, but organizers of the plan say they're not surprised.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine found three "defects" with Marijuana Policy Project's ballot language, which it submitted this month after gaining the necessary initial 1,000 signatures. The AG's office found errors related to the number of large-scale cultivation sites being proposed, as well as sections dealing with identification cards and driving vehicles while under the influence of marijuana. ( Read DeWine's decision here.)
DeWine's office analyzes ballot language to make sure it's accurate and fair. Once it's approved, the measure is sent to the Ohio Ballot Board, which has 10 days to make sure it adheres to state law.
Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said the group expects these types of edits to its initiatives, and factored it into its calendar. The group has from the start planned April as the start date to gather the nearly 306,000 signatures it needs to put the amendment on the November ballot.
"This is just part of Ohio's very rigorous initiative process, so it's not particularly surprising," Tvert said in an email. "We'll be making some adjustments based on their notes and then moving forward as planned."
The MPP and its Ohio campaign group, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, introduced the amendment two weeks ago. It calls for 15 large-scale cultivation licenses initially and uncapped licenses for smaller growers. Medical patients with diseases including AIDS and epilepsy could get marijuana at dispensaries with doctor approval.
A wider legalization effort failed on last year's ballot, but this initiative is more narrow and does not have the much-maligned monopolistic ownership aspect of that effort, supporters say.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio's Medical Marijuana Backers Unfazed By Ballot Language Rejection
Author: Tom Knox
Contact: Cincinnati Business Courier
Photo Credit: Matthew Staver
Website: Cincinnati Business Courier
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine found three "defects" with Marijuana Policy Project's ballot language, which it submitted this month after gaining the necessary initial 1,000 signatures. The AG's office found errors related to the number of large-scale cultivation sites being proposed, as well as sections dealing with identification cards and driving vehicles while under the influence of marijuana. ( Read DeWine's decision here.)
DeWine's office analyzes ballot language to make sure it's accurate and fair. Once it's approved, the measure is sent to the Ohio Ballot Board, which has 10 days to make sure it adheres to state law.
Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said the group expects these types of edits to its initiatives, and factored it into its calendar. The group has from the start planned April as the start date to gather the nearly 306,000 signatures it needs to put the amendment on the November ballot.
"This is just part of Ohio's very rigorous initiative process, so it's not particularly surprising," Tvert said in an email. "We'll be making some adjustments based on their notes and then moving forward as planned."
The MPP and its Ohio campaign group, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, introduced the amendment two weeks ago. It calls for 15 large-scale cultivation licenses initially and uncapped licenses for smaller growers. Medical patients with diseases including AIDS and epilepsy could get marijuana at dispensaries with doctor approval.
A wider legalization effort failed on last year's ballot, but this initiative is more narrow and does not have the much-maligned monopolistic ownership aspect of that effort, supporters say.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio's Medical Marijuana Backers Unfazed By Ballot Language Rejection
Author: Tom Knox
Contact: Cincinnati Business Courier
Photo Credit: Matthew Staver
Website: Cincinnati Business Courier
