Pubdate: Sat, 19 Sep 2015 Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH) Copyright: 2015 The Columbus Dispatch Contact: http://www.dispatch.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93 NEW WORDING, STILL SAME BAD POT ISSUE The Ohio Supreme Court wisely threaded the needle in its Wednesday ruling on the ballot language and title for a constitutional amendment to legalize pot in the state. The court applied common sense and protected the integrity of the election process under the law. Each side won some and lost some. The justices agreed with Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted in allowing the disputed words monopoly and recreational to remain in place on the amendment's title. Husted, who chairs the Ballot Board, had titled it this way: "Grants a monopoly for the commercial production and sale of marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes." The group pushing pot legalization, ResponsibleOhio, was incensed at the negative images evoked by "monopoly" and wanted nonmedicinal use of dope to be described as "personal use." But monopoly accurately describes the form of closed market sought by Issue 3 proponents. And "personal use" is vague; it could also mean medical use. The court, however, said the Ballot Board's wording was inaccurate or misleading on four issues, including where retail shops could be located, local control over allowing sales, the addition of more pot farms, and how much pot an individual could legally transport. Husted quickly convened the Ballot Board on Friday to make the needed language changes; voting by mail starts on Oct. 6. While not every detail could be fully explained in a ballot summary, the high court's ruling assures that the language will be as neutral and accurate as possible. Even with straightforward language, Ohio voters should have no trouble at all defeating State Issue 3 to protect public health and defend their constitution from being used to enrich a monopoly. What happened to 'Eat your vegetables'? Kids are scarfing down a lot of high-calorie and fried foods at fast-food joints daily, according to a government report that gives even greater weight to ongoing efforts to combat childhood obesity. More than 1 in 3 children or teens in the United States eat at a fast-food restaurant on any given day, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The analysis was based on the CDC's 2011-12 survey data, so nutrition campaigns might have since made a dent. But these worrisome consumption numbers have held steady since the 1990s. Further, the bad eating habits cut across gender and even economic status for children ages 2 to 19. Fast food restaurants, of course, do offer healthy choices. But it seems the kids aren't opting for grilled chicken salads. The study found many of the young diners are getting 25 percent to more than 40 percent of their daily calories from fast-food joints. These findings are vexing. Young children aren't trotting to fast-food restaurants on their own; their parents are taking them. And, by the time they are teenagers, better dietary habits should be ingrained. The report should remind parents to set a good example and expose children to healthy foods, perhaps buying a new fruit or vegetable each week to try. Bad dietary habits can last a lifetime and set up youngsters for serious health problems later in life. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom