Pubdate: Mon, 18 May 2015
Source: Dayton Daily News (OH)
Copyright: 2015 Dayton Daily News
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/7JXk4H3l
Website: http://www.daytondailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/120
Author: Tom Troy, The (Toledo) Blade

PRO-POT GROUP PLANS TO GIVE AWAY $100 BILL WITH SPECIAL SERIAL NUMBER

Bill would entitle bearer to apply for license to grow pot.

A Toledo pro-marijuana group is giving away a $100 bill to celebrate 
winning approval from the Ohio Ballot Board, the group's chairman 
said Thursday.

And not just any $100 bill.

A $100 bill with one of 30 special serial numbers that will entitle 
the bearer to apply for a license to commercially grow marijuana.

Ed Howard of Toledo, chairman of the organization Better for Ohio, 
said the Willy Wonka-sounding plan is designed to make sure that more 
people can grow pot in Ohio than would be allowed under the leading 
marijuana-legalization plan being promoted by ResponsibleOhio.

Howard said he would hold a contest to give away one of the 30 
C-notes. The rest can be obtained only by contributing $75,000 to 
Better for Ohio's campaign to raise signatures to pass its proposed 
Constitutional amendment.

"We're so excited about it we're putting up a contest to give away 
one of these sites to a lucky Ohioan who meets the age and other 
requirements," said Howard, who is self-employed building architectural models.

The entry form to apply for one of the golden tickets is at BetterForOhio.org.

The Ohio Ballot Board on Thursday approved the form of the proposed 
Better for Ohio amendment. That clears the way for the group to begin 
collecting signatures. More than 305,000 signatures of Ohio 
registered voters are needed to get the proposed Constitutional 
amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Better for Ohio is not connected with ResponsibleOhio, which has been 
gathering signatures on its own amendment since March. 
ResponsibleOhio has collected close to 300,000 signatures toward its 
goal of 700,000 signatures.

In addition, it has financial commitments of $4 million from each of 
the 10 business entities that own the parcels on which commercial pot 
will be allowed to be grown.

Howard said he believes the limitation of 10 commercial pot farms is 
a flaw in the ResponsibleOhio amendment. He included 
ResponsibleOhio's 10 parcels in his amendment in hopes that the group 
will agree its plan is flawed and endorse his plan.

Like the ResponsibleOhio amendment, it would allow adults 21 and 
older to possess up to an ounce of pot.

Ian James, the executive director of ResponsibleOhio, said Howard's 
trading in $100 bills could be a violation of securities law.

"We're flattered by the imitation, but we are concerned for the BOF 
committee and investors who will undoubtedly have securities 
regulators and others probing the legality of what they are doing," James said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom