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 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom