Robert Celt
New Member
After sitting out a failed effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio last year, a national pot policy group is taking the lead to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio.
In fact, although Issue 3, an attempt to fully legalize consumption of the plant, mustered only about a third of Ohio voters' support in 2015, the measure helped spur the new proposal into action.
"The initiative that was on the ballot last year really energized a lot of people and sparked a lot of public dialogue that has gotten people interested in taking action," said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C., group that's in the final stages of writing a constitutional amendment for Ohio voters to weigh this November.
MPP hopes to have the measure ready within a week. It will be modeled after medical marijuana laws in 23 states and Washington, D.C., allowing Ohioans to obtain marijuana if they suffer from qualifying medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain but not anxiety.
MPP had offered a lukewarm endorsement of last year's plan from ResponsibleOhio, which would have legalized recreational use of marijuana but given most growing privileges to 10 investor groups. That part was derided as a monopoly and led to a lack of support among people who otherwise want use of the plant legalized.
Ohio has always been on the Marijuana Policy Project's radar, Tvert said, but it's a large state and expensive to gather signatures for a ballot initiative.
"Quite frankly we didn't think there was strong enough support for broader reform last year, especially in an off-year election," he said. "Now we see a lot of folks that are interested and support a campaign this year."
The Marijuana Policy Project prefers to place ballot measures during presidential election years, when voter turnout is greater. And according to a poll the company released Monday, nearly three-quarters of Ohio voters favor medical marijuana as a constitutional amendment.
Still, a constitutional amendment faces obstacles. Gathering support for a ballot measure will take millions of dollars from a donor base largely made up of individuals, and Ohio legislators are debating medical marijuana legislation in a task force, providing potential competition for legalization. (Tvert said legislators have had years to decide medical marijuana's future, and that the time to wait is over.)
MPP has hired three Ohioans to work on organizing its efforts and has created a political action committee. It has yet to hire a firm to help gather signatures.
MPP's amendment likely would offer five types of business licenses for entrepreneurs who want to sell medical marijuana and two different types of cultivation licenses: One for smaller growers, and another, more expensive and limited license for large-scale growers.
The larger licenses would be made available first.
"The reason is you need to inject a bunch of money into the system in order to operate it," Tvert said of the "very expensive" licenses. Big costs for the larger cultivation license would also make business licenses more reasonably priced, the group said.
There would be no limit on the smaller wholesale licenses to cultivate medical marijuana.
If approved, Ohioans with clearance from their doctors would be able to get medical marijuana from retail sellers about a year after the measure passes, and start growing it themselves as soon as they get government ID cards.
Time is of the essence, and the group will need heavy volunteer turnout in spring and summer, as MPP needs 305,591 signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot. It's targeting 600,000 signatures.
"We view Ohio's prohibition on medical marijuana as a public-health emergency," Marijuana Policy Project President Rob Kampia said in a social media question-and-answer session.
The Marijuana Policy Project has a long history of work to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana in other states.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Backers Planning New Push For The November Ballot In Ohio
Author: Tom Knox
Contact: Columbus Business First
Photo Credit: Matthew Staver
Website: Columbus Business First
In fact, although Issue 3, an attempt to fully legalize consumption of the plant, mustered only about a third of Ohio voters' support in 2015, the measure helped spur the new proposal into action.
"The initiative that was on the ballot last year really energized a lot of people and sparked a lot of public dialogue that has gotten people interested in taking action," said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C., group that's in the final stages of writing a constitutional amendment for Ohio voters to weigh this November.
MPP hopes to have the measure ready within a week. It will be modeled after medical marijuana laws in 23 states and Washington, D.C., allowing Ohioans to obtain marijuana if they suffer from qualifying medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain but not anxiety.
MPP had offered a lukewarm endorsement of last year's plan from ResponsibleOhio, which would have legalized recreational use of marijuana but given most growing privileges to 10 investor groups. That part was derided as a monopoly and led to a lack of support among people who otherwise want use of the plant legalized.
Ohio has always been on the Marijuana Policy Project's radar, Tvert said, but it's a large state and expensive to gather signatures for a ballot initiative.
"Quite frankly we didn't think there was strong enough support for broader reform last year, especially in an off-year election," he said. "Now we see a lot of folks that are interested and support a campaign this year."
The Marijuana Policy Project prefers to place ballot measures during presidential election years, when voter turnout is greater. And according to a poll the company released Monday, nearly three-quarters of Ohio voters favor medical marijuana as a constitutional amendment.
Still, a constitutional amendment faces obstacles. Gathering support for a ballot measure will take millions of dollars from a donor base largely made up of individuals, and Ohio legislators are debating medical marijuana legislation in a task force, providing potential competition for legalization. (Tvert said legislators have had years to decide medical marijuana's future, and that the time to wait is over.)
MPP has hired three Ohioans to work on organizing its efforts and has created a political action committee. It has yet to hire a firm to help gather signatures.
MPP's amendment likely would offer five types of business licenses for entrepreneurs who want to sell medical marijuana and two different types of cultivation licenses: One for smaller growers, and another, more expensive and limited license for large-scale growers.
The larger licenses would be made available first.
"The reason is you need to inject a bunch of money into the system in order to operate it," Tvert said of the "very expensive" licenses. Big costs for the larger cultivation license would also make business licenses more reasonably priced, the group said.
There would be no limit on the smaller wholesale licenses to cultivate medical marijuana.
If approved, Ohioans with clearance from their doctors would be able to get medical marijuana from retail sellers about a year after the measure passes, and start growing it themselves as soon as they get government ID cards.
Time is of the essence, and the group will need heavy volunteer turnout in spring and summer, as MPP needs 305,591 signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot. It's targeting 600,000 signatures.
"We view Ohio's prohibition on medical marijuana as a public-health emergency," Marijuana Policy Project President Rob Kampia said in a social media question-and-answer session.
The Marijuana Policy Project has a long history of work to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana in other states.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Backers Planning New Push For The November Ballot In Ohio
Author: Tom Knox
Contact: Columbus Business First
Photo Credit: Matthew Staver
Website: Columbus Business First
