Pubdate: Sun, 30 Aug 2015
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2015 The Columbus Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n482/a06.html
Author: Howard Rosenzweig

POT ISSUE IS BETTER LEFT UP TO THE LEGISLATURE

In 1973, the voters of Ohio passed an amendment to the Ohio 
Constitution of 1851 to authorize a lottery. That amendment is 43 
words long and includes the phrase "permit the General Assembly to 
authorize an agency of the state to conduct lotteries." That means 
our elected representatives created a set of rules by which the 
lottery provider and players must abide.

The two most recent amendment proposals, casino gambling (passed) and 
legal use of marijuana (on the Nov. 3 ballot), seem to bypass the 
General Assembly altogether. Sponsored only by the interested 
parties, they are several pages long, and have every rule and cash 
disbursement already specified within.

There was and is heavy promotion of them because the backers have 
very deep pockets, likely to be made deeper by the legalized 
monopolies enshrined in the amendments.

In his Monday letter "State Issue 3 wording could backfire," Dennis 
Fiely said it well: "I do not believe our Constitution should be used 
as a Christmas tree for every special-interest group to hang an ornament."

Wouldn't Ohioans be better off if the legislature set all the rules 
and created a competitive process for a limited number of marijuana 
growing facilities instead of the growers themselves setting the 
rules? It would then be in the growers' best interests to "sweeten 
the pot" for all Ohioans.

This might make the amendment more palatable to voters like me, who 
don't care whether marijuana is legal, only that anti-competitive 
business practices are being enshrined in our state constitution for 
the benefit of a few and to the detriment of most of Ohio's risidents.

HOWARD ROSENZWEIG

Columbus
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom