While two states have successfully legalized marijuana, Ohio is beginning to move forward with ballot initiatives that could legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes and to produce industrial hemp. The effort, which is being pushed by the Ohio Rights Group, a medical marijuana advocacy organization, could be on the ballot as soon as November 2013 if the group gets strong financial backing, but Mary Jane Borden, secretary and treasurer of the group, says 2014 is more realistic. If it’s successful, the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment will legalize medical marijuana and create the Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control, whose nine members would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Ohio Senate, to deem who’s eligible to grow, process, distribute, transport, purchase or sell cannabis for medical purposes. The amendment will also allow Ohio residents to produce and sell hemp, a non-psychoactive form of cannabis that can be used for paper, fuel, food, building materials and clothing, among other uses. That would mean significant changes for Ohio, a state in which marijuana remains illegal, although getting caught with less than 100 grams does not go on someone’s criminal record as long as it’s not intended for distribution. Most recently, the Ohio Rights Group turned in 2,058 petition signatures — more than double the 1,000 required — in support of the amendment to Attorney General Mike DeWine’s offices, which will now begin reviewing the ballot language to ensure it meets the legal criteria to go on the ballot. Afterward, the proposed amendment will work its way to the Ohio Ballot Board. If it’s approved there, the Ohio Rights Group will be able to begin the process of gathering 385,000 signatures from Ohio voters required to put the issue on the ballot. Borden explains this is the third time the group has pushed the ballot initiative. The first time, in 2011, the ballot language was too long and wasn’t approved. The second time, in 2012, Chase Bank closed the group’s checking account, effectively shutting down the campaign, because the bank did not want to “do business with entities engaged in illegal activity,” even though the Ohio Rights Group’s activity was approved by state officials, according to Borden. This time, Borden says the group is prepared to take the issue all the way to the ballot box. “The time has come,” she says. “This is an issue that is gaining incredible momentum statewide and nationwide.”
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 20:22:30 +0000
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