Pubdate: Sun, 23 Aug 2015
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2015 The Columbus Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93

FIGHTING THE DRUG CARTEL

Coalition Has Gathered Strong Allies to Oppose Pot Monopoly

There are many reasons for Ohioans to vote in November against Issue 
3, which would enshrine a marijuana-selling monopoly in the Ohio Constitution.

The newly unveiled "No on 3" opposition campaign has assembled a 
broad and influential coalition to highlight the damage that would be 
done if Issue 3 were to pass.

First, Issue 3 would change Ohio's foundational document in order to 
financially benefit a handful of people. This is an abuse of the 
referendum process in which deep-pocketed backers, many not even 
based in Ohio, write a ballot issue that creates their monopoly and 
sets their preferred tax rates, pay people to gather signatures, then 
funnel millions of dollars into the campaign to pass the measure.

To counter this abuse of the constitution, the state legislature has 
placed a measure on the November ballot that would bar future 
constitutional amendments intended to confer financial benefits on an 
exclusive group. This measure will appear as Issue 2 on the November 
ballot. Voters should support this measure, which Secretary of State 
Jon Husted and state attorneys say would negate Issue 3 even if Issue 
3 also passes.

It is a bad idea to usher in a sudden, major change involving an 
intoxicating drug that remains illegal under federal law. Ohio would 
become only the fifth state to legalize marijuana use for 
recreational purposes - and the only state to do so without first 
approving more-limited medical use only.

Several other states that have legalized marijuana have seen negative 
consequences. In Colorado, pot shops have sprung up near schools and 
churches, and marijuana-laced sweets have led to worries that pot is 
being packaged in a way that makes it enticing to children. Tax 
revenues also have fallen far short of projections, something Ohio 
has seen with casino tax revenues.

Legalization inevitably leads to wider use, which would endanger the 
health of children and economic well-being in the state. The No on 3 
campaign was launched at Nationwide Children's Hospital, where 
researchers have warned that more children are exposed to marijuana 
and its harmful effects in places where pot is legalized. The 
campaign is backed by the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, the 
Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Ohio State 
Medical Association.

The effort also has the backing of business and economic-development 
groups including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Cleveland 
Partnership, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Council of 
Retail Merchants and the Ohio Manufacturers' Association. The reason 
is clear: A workforce that is more likely to be under the influence 
of drugs would be less productive and more prone to accidents. Even 
without legal marijuana, many employers say it's tough to find job 
applicants who can pass a drug test.

All one needs to do is look at who is bankrolling this issue that 
would lead to greater drug use and abuse: a cabal of "entrepreneurs" 
looking to make a lot of money. Then look at who opposes it: health 
professionals, business organizations, law-enforcement and 
legal-profession groups. It's clear who is on the right side of the 
fight, and who is in it simply for the money.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom