Pubdate: Sun, 28 Jun 2015
Source: Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)
Copyright: 2015 The Plain Dealer
Contact: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/letter-to-editor/
Website: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/342
Note: priority given to local letter writers
Author: Jon Gettman
Note: Jon Gettman is the cannabis policy director for High Times 
magazine. This column was originally posted at HighTimes.com.

OHIO MARIJUANA PLAN'S GREEDY BACKERS ARE 'IRRESPONSIBLE OHIO'

A group of ambitious capitalists in Ohio, under the name of 
Responsible Ohio, want to amend the state constitution to give them 
control of the legal marijuana market in the state.

This sneaky bunch of robber barons proposes that marijuana be 
legalized in Ohio in a three-tiered commercial system consisting of 
retail outlets, manufacturers of cannabis products, and a limited 
number of wholesalers  that is, them. Only them. The amendment is 
designed to limit wholesale grow facilities to ten specific sites 
owned and operated by the financial backers of Responsible Ohio.

Oh, wait, personal cultivation would be okay. According to their 
website, "You are allowed up to 4 plants per household (there is no 
set limit on how many non-flowering plants you can have) and 8 ounces 
of useable product at a time."

This one comment sums up all that is wrong about this greedy 
self-serving scheme. "You are allowed . . ." Think about that. 
Allowed by whom? By the cartel, that's who. Responsible Ohio wants to 
take over the marijuana business and use criminal law to enforce a 
constitutionally mandated monopoly.

Responsible Ohio argues that they are not establishing a monopoly 
because their ten grow facilities will have to "compete with each 
other on price and quality, which is the exact opposite of a 
monopoly. There is no coordination between them, they will be trying 
to make money by selling the best goods at the best prices to stores, 
dispensaries and manufacturers."

The proper description, then, is oligopoly, the control of a closed 
market by a few firms, commonly referred to as a cartel.

Economic terminology aside, there are a few obvious problems with 
this proposal. But the most prominent of them concerns the way it 
further corrupts criminal law to serve private economic interests.

Consider this scenario. An individual grows 12 flowering plants, and 
sells some of their harvest. They have broken the law. But now, what 
is the purpose of that law? The purpose of the law is now to prevent 
anyone from competing with the cartel's ten licensed wholesale grow 
facilities, on any scale whatsoever. "You are allowed...." Really.

The progressive movement in American politics has served to respond 
to corporate excess, to balance the self-serving actions of greedy 
industrialists with concern for the interests of consumers and the 
general public. The campaign of Responsible Ohio is just the opposite 
of this, in which government is being used to advance private 
interests at public expense.

This is bad public policy. The public interest in ending marijuana 
prohibition is to put an end to the illegal and unregulated market in 
marijuana cultivation and sales. A closed market, such as the 
cultivation oligopoly proposed by Responsible Ohio, will not achieve 
this objective. Criminal law has been unable to restrict cultivation 
activity  how can anyone argue that any sort of closed market can 
successfully monopolize marijuana cultivation?

Why does Responsible Ohio want to restrict cultivation to ten sites? 
It is because they have promised a profitable return to the financial 
backers behind this greedy initiative. Restricting production is a 
classic way to keep prices high, and high prices mean high profits.

They can dress this up any way they want, but the bottom line is that 
it is a scheme to corner the market and maximize the return on their 
collective investment. This is an anti-competitive racket -- yes, a 
racket -- and it won't work because high prices invite lower-priced 
competition.

And it is small-scale growers who will provide such competition, 
regardless of Ohio law, the Ohio constitution, and the best efforts 
of Responsible Ohio to corner the market. As such, this may make a 
lot of money for these private interests, but the public interest in 
shutting down the illegal market will not be served.

There will be no closed markets. Today's marijuana users and growers 
will not allow it. Really.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom