Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
State Rep. Mike Curtin is seeking supporters for a legislative resolution opposing ResponsibleOhio's proposed constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana for personal and medical use in Ohio.
Curtin, a second-term representative from Marble Cliff, sent a memo today to fellow Democrats asking them to co-sponsor a concurrent resolution "urging Ohio voters to reject any proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that seeks to grant a monopoly for the commerical cultivation and distribution of marijuana." The resolution would be non-binding and would not have the force of law.
Curtin said ResponsibleOhio is "on the verge" of qualifying for the Nov. 3 ballot with a proposal to allow 10 investors and their partners to have the "constitutionally guaranteed, exclusive right" to grow marijuana to be sold to Ohioans adults 21 and over. "This amendment would create a cartel in our state's foundational document," Curtin wrote.
He said public opinion on marijuana has shifted in recent years, but legal changes should come through the legislative process, "not the Ohio Constitution."
ResponsibleOhio has thus far gathered more than 250,000 signatures of the 305,591 registered voters it needs to get on the fall ballot. The group plans to collect up to three times that many signatures to account for ones found invalid.
In a related development, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said today that he has convened a taskforce to examine the "public health, public safety and economic impacts of medical and personal legalization" in Ohio. Deter said he was approached by ReponsibleOhio about forming the task force, but that the group is not determining the direction of the research.
"Marijuana policy reform has emerged as one of the critical issues of our time," Deters said in a statement. "It has been on the horizon for some time and it is very likely to be on the November ballot. I've seen firsthand how ineffective and inefficient marijuana laws are. I strongly believe we must have an honest and in-depth assessment of the positive and negative impacts that legalization can have, so that Ohioans can make an informed decision."
Deters said taskforce members include academics, policy experts, elected officials and others. A report will be released next month.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Rep. Curtin pushing resolution opposing ResponsibleOhio marijuana "cartel" | The Columbus Dispatch
Author: Alan Johnson
Contact: Contacts | The Columbus Dispatch
Photo Credit: Reuters/Blair Gable
Website: The Columbus Dispatch | Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds
Curtin, a second-term representative from Marble Cliff, sent a memo today to fellow Democrats asking them to co-sponsor a concurrent resolution "urging Ohio voters to reject any proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that seeks to grant a monopoly for the commerical cultivation and distribution of marijuana." The resolution would be non-binding and would not have the force of law.
Curtin said ResponsibleOhio is "on the verge" of qualifying for the Nov. 3 ballot with a proposal to allow 10 investors and their partners to have the "constitutionally guaranteed, exclusive right" to grow marijuana to be sold to Ohioans adults 21 and over. "This amendment would create a cartel in our state's foundational document," Curtin wrote.
He said public opinion on marijuana has shifted in recent years, but legal changes should come through the legislative process, "not the Ohio Constitution."
ResponsibleOhio has thus far gathered more than 250,000 signatures of the 305,591 registered voters it needs to get on the fall ballot. The group plans to collect up to three times that many signatures to account for ones found invalid.
In a related development, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said today that he has convened a taskforce to examine the "public health, public safety and economic impacts of medical and personal legalization" in Ohio. Deter said he was approached by ReponsibleOhio about forming the task force, but that the group is not determining the direction of the research.
"Marijuana policy reform has emerged as one of the critical issues of our time," Deters said in a statement. "It has been on the horizon for some time and it is very likely to be on the November ballot. I've seen firsthand how ineffective and inefficient marijuana laws are. I strongly believe we must have an honest and in-depth assessment of the positive and negative impacts that legalization can have, so that Ohioans can make an informed decision."
Deters said taskforce members include academics, policy experts, elected officials and others. A report will be released next month.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Rep. Curtin pushing resolution opposing ResponsibleOhio marijuana "cartel" | The Columbus Dispatch
Author: Alan Johnson
Contact: Contacts | The Columbus Dispatch
Photo Credit: Reuters/Blair Gable
Website: The Columbus Dispatch | Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds
