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51US OH: Kasich Signs Bill Legalizing Medical MarijuanaThu, 09 Jun 2016
Source:News Herald (Willoughby, OH) Author:Sanner, Ann Area:Ohio Lines:Excerpt Added:06/09/2016

COLUMBUS (AP) - Ohio became the latest state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana after Republican Gov. John Kasich signed legislation Wednesday.

The law allows people to use the drug in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions, while barring patients from smoking marijuana or growing it at home.

Kasich's signature makes Ohio the 25th state to legalize a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ohio's bill drew both support and opposition from Republicans and Democrats when it cleared the legislature late last month. Lawmakers had moved quickly on the measure as they looked to offset support for a proposed fall ballot issue. The group behind the ballot effort has since dropped its plan and called the legislation "a step forward."

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52 US OH: Kasich Signs Medical Marijuana BillThu, 09 Jun 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) Author:Sanner, Ann Area:Ohio Lines:48 Added:06/09/2016

Ohio became the latest state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana after Republican Gov. John Kasich signed legislation Wednesday.

The law allows people to use the drug in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions, while barring patients from smoking marijuana or growing it at home.

Kasich's signature makes Ohio the 25th state to legalize a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ohio's bill drew both support and opposition from Republicans and Democrats when it cleared the legislature late last month. Lawmakers had moved quickly on the measure as they looked to offset support for a proposed fall ballot issue. The group behind the ballot effort has since dropped its plan and called the legislation "a step forward."

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53 US OH: PUB LTE: 'Better Meds' Don't Work For AllWed, 08 Jun 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Zawada, John Area:Ohio Lines:54 Added:06/08/2016

Doctors against medical marijuana should stop pretending present pharmaceuticals are any less dangerous.

The shear ignorance and bias in many of the articles written against the legalization of medical marijuana - many of them by doctors no less - is astounding and shameful. They speak as if we don't already have medicines derived from opium, from which heroin, morphine, oxycodone and the like are derived, or the coca plant that produces cocaine (which led to the discovery of lidocaine, etc.), as well as dozens of other highly toxic and/or addictive herbs.

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54 US OH: OPED: Medical Marijuana Has Arrived In OhioTue, 07 Jun 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:42 Added:06/07/2016

Lawmakers weren't bluffing when they pledged they would consider medical marijuana after an outside group's effort to legalize pot failed last November.

Much of that push, of course, came from polls suggesting Ohioans favor medical marijuana, and from concerns that outsiders would again try for a more liberal marijuana law by amending the state constitution.

Not only did lawmakers carefully study the issue, they passed a bill that will become law if Gov. John Kasich signs it.

Kasich should. House Bill 523, while not perfect, is a conservative approach to allow those with legitimate medical conditions to have access to a drug that can benefit them when others don't.

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55 US OH: Editorial: Leap Of FaithMon, 06 Jun 2016
Source:Courier, The (OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:68 Added:06/07/2016

Lawmakers weren't bluffing when they pledged they would consider medical marijuana after an outside group's effort to legalize pot failed last November.

Much of that push, of course, came from polls suggesting Ohioans favor medical marijuana, and from concerns that outsiders would again try for a more liberal marijuana law by amending the state constitution.

Not only did lawmakers carefully study the issue, they passed a bill that will become law if Gov. John Kasich signs it.

Kasich should. House Bill 523, while not perfect, is a conservative approach to allow those with legitimate medical conditions to have access to a drug that can benefit them when others don't. The legislation won't appease all. Some people still believe marijuana should not be legalized in any shape or form.

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56 US OH: PUB LTE: Legislators Don't Deserve PraiseMon, 06 Jun 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Bruns, William Area:Ohio Lines:31 Added:06/06/2016

I respond to the Tuesday letter "Legislators answered call with marijuana bill" from Aaron Neumann, who congratulated the legislature for passing medical-marijuana legislation rather than allowing a ballot initiative to create a law without the legislature's input or approval.

However, Neumann was critical of the bill's burdensome regulations, restrictions and red tape. He should have mentioned that one can't actually possess, grow or ingest the unprocessed plant that is the law's namesake, even with a prescription. Marijuana the plant will remain just as illegal as it was before the bill is passed.

Ohio's medical-marijuana law is not concerned with allowing suffering people access to marijuana but about stopping ballot initiatives - just as last year's State Issue 2 was about stopping marijuana legalization.

William Bruns

Blacklick

[end]

57US OH: Father Says Son's Drug Suppliers 'Should Be Tried ForMon, 06 Jun 2016
Source:Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) Author:Wernowsky, Kris Area:Ohio Lines:Excerpt Added:06/06/2016

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio - Nicholas DiMarco was 18 when he died from a dose or heroin laced with fentanyl.

He left behind a grief-stricken father tormented by questions.

"The biggest mistake that I made I looked at my son and I thought of it as a rational, normal person," Fred DiMarco said. "I was like, well he's going to quit. If he doesn't quit, he's going to go to prison for three years. Who would take that risk? He's going to quit. It's killing people. Who would take something that's going to kill them?"

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58 US OH: Boss Could Fire You For Using PotSat, 04 Jun 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Perkins, William T. Area:Ohio Lines:95 Added:06/04/2016

Even if Ohio Gov. John Kasich signs into law a bill legalizing medical marijuana, some patients could be stopped from treatment by their employers.

The bill passed by the state legislature last month would allow individuals to use, but not smoke, marijuana with a physician's permission. However, the bill also allows employers to keep drug-free workplace policies. That means as long as employers express the policy upfront, they have the right to fire, or choose not to hire, an individual based on marijuana use, even if that employee has permission to use the drug.

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59 US OH: PUB LTE: Medical Marijuana Proves BeneficialSat, 28 May 2016
Source:Daily Record (Wooster, OH) Author:Hensel, Jess Area:Ohio Lines:37 Added:05/30/2016

I am writing a letter on medical marijuana. Many people don't like the idea of it being legalized, but if we could just get it legalized to where only doctors could prescribe it to someone instead of legalizing all of it, I think it would be OK and beneficial to many.

For example, a 9-year-old girl who had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia went through many radiation treatments, doctors wanted to do chemotherapy and even a bone marrow transplant but her parents said no. In July 2012 her lymphoblast count was 51 percent; by August 2012 it was 0 percent! This all happened in just one week after she was given the cannabis oil treatment.

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60 US OH: Up in Smoke: Group Ends Ohio Medical Marijuana BallotSun, 29 May 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) Author:Sewell, Dan Area:Ohio Lines:66 Added:05/29/2016

A group Saturday ended its effort to put a medical marijuana issue on Ohio's general election ballot.

The Ohioans for Medical Marijuana announced that organizers decided with "a heavy heart" to halt collection of signatures to get on the November ballot in the aftermath of passage this past week by state lawmakers of a medical marijuana legalization bill.

The proposal would bar patients from smoking marijuana or growing it at home, but it would allow its use in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions. It still requires Gov. John Kasich's signature.

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61US OH: Muskingum Top In Marijuana SeizuresSun, 29 May 2016
Source:Times Recorder (Zanesville, OH) Author:Snyder, Kate Area:Ohio Lines:Excerpt Added:05/29/2016

ZANESVILLE - From 2008 to 2014, 32,021 marijuana seizures in Muskingum County were reported to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, putting it at number one in the state.

In 2010 alone, agencies in the county reported more than 25,000 seizures, which was nearly 25 percent of all marijuana seizures reported in the state 105,121. According to the data, Pike County and Franklin County were also top counties for marijuana seizures, and during the same time period, Perry County had 12,290 seizures reported.

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62 US OH: Ohio Group Drops Petition To Get Medical MarijuanaSat, 28 May 2016
Source:Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)          Area:Ohio Lines:68 Added:05/29/2016

CINCINNATI - A group Saturday ended its effort to put a medical marijuana issue on Ohio's general election ballot.

The Ohioans for Medical Marijuana announced that organizers decided with "a heavy heart" to halt collection of signatures to get on the November ballot in the aftermath of passage last week by state lawmakers of a medical marijuana legalization bill.

The proposal would bar patients from smoking marijuana or growing it at home, but it would allow its use in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions. It still requires Gov. John Kasich's signature.

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63 US OH: Marijuana Ballot Effort SuspendedSat, 28 May 2016
Source:Review, The (Alliance, OH) Author:Bureau, Marc Kovac Review Area:Ohio Lines:58 Added:05/29/2016

COLUMBUS - A group eyeing a November ballot issue to legalize medical marijuana has suspended its signature-gathering efforts, days after lawmakers finalized legislation to create a state-regulated system for providing the drug to patients suffering certain conditions.

Brandon Lynaugh, campaign manager for Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, said in a released statement Saturday morning that the difficulties in raising the needed funds to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot and run a successful campaign were difficult propositions, given the legislature's action and Gov. John Kasich's expected signature.

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64 US OH: Medical Marijuana Legalization Sent To KasichFri, 27 May 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) Author:Smyth, Julie Carr Area:Ohio Lines:72 Added:05/28/2016

A medical marijuana legalization bill has been sent to Ohio Gov. John Kasich in an effort by state lawmakers to offset support for a proposed fall ballot measure.

The measure cleared the Ohio Senate by just three votes, and the House followed by OK'ing Senate changes 67-28.

The proposal, which Kasich has not committed to signing, would bar patients from smoking marijuana or growing it at home, but it would allow its use in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions.

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65 US OH: Pot May Be Growing Here Within A YearFri, 27 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:95 Added:05/28/2016

Marijuana plants could be growing legally in Ohio soil in a year, predicts state Sen. Dave Burke, an architect of Ohio's newly minted medical marijuana law.

"As soon as 16 months, you would have products tested and available," the Marysville Republican said.

House Bill 523, the medical marijuana law, completed a rocky journey through the legislature Wednesday. It is now headed to Gov. John Kasich.

Kasich has not indicated whether he will sign the bill into law. He also could veto it or allow it to take effect without his signature.

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66 US OH: Pharmacy Board Out As Sole Medical Marijuana RegulatorWed, 25 May 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Smyth, Julie Carr Area:Ohio Lines:79 Added:05/25/2016

Proposal Scrapped Over Concerns About Burden on the State.

COLUMBUS (AP) - A legislative proposal to regulate medical marijuana through Ohio's pharmacy board was scrapped Tuesday over concerns the rare setup nationally would create an undue burden on the state.

Republican Sen. David Burke, a Marysville pharmacist behind the idea, called the arrangement the most responsible way to oversee marijuana as medicine. He said changes introduced in the Senate Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday were needed to strike a workable compromise.

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67US OH: OPED: Marijuana Policies Are the Problem, Not the DrugSun, 22 May 2016
Source:Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) Author:Camargo, Efrain Area:Ohio Lines:Excerpt Added:05/23/2016

Over the years, people have been taught that marijuana was an evil drug. This drug is so evil that approximately 750,000 people are arrested every year and some of them convicted and fined for its use in the United States. So evil that every 42 seconds someone gets arrested for it.

America is so convinced of marijuana's evils, that we are willing to root out this drug wherever it is used, bought, and sold, right?

Wrong.

in our nation's capital, before legalization, 91 percent of arrested marijuana dealers were African-American. What about the other 9 percent? Well, before Washington voters legalized its use, only 4 percent of Washington, D.C.'s arrested marijuana dealers were Caucasian.

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68 US OH: PUB LTE: Legalize Marijuana Based on War on DrugsSat, 21 May 2016
Source:Times Recorder (Zanesville, OH) Author:Woodburn, Gary Area:Ohio Lines:46 Added:05/21/2016

The House just passed a medical marijuana measure and an initiative will likely be on the ballot in November. While I believe marijuana should be legalized, this initiative and the legislation being considered by the Senate should be rejected since people who don't use marijuana will be forced to pay taxes to support a state commission the law creates. We already have too many bureaucrats in Columbus to support. Too often politicians create high-paying jobs for their friends, at taxpayers' expense, by creating new state agencies when we urgently need to prune the bloated state government.

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69 US OH: Patients Could Get Medical Marijuana From Out-Of-StateWed, 18 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Siegel, Jim Area:Ohio Lines:99 Added:05/19/2016

As it nears a potential vote next week on medical marijuana, the Senate today made a number of bill changes, including those that seek to speed up the implementation and give Ohioans immediate access to the drug.

A chief complaint of the House-passed bill among medical marijuana proponents was Ohioans would have to wait for up to two years before getting access to the drug while regulations, farms and distributors were established.

The latest version of the bill, accepted in Senate committee on Wednesday, allows patients to obtain medical marijuana from out of state via prescription in forms legal under the bill, before the system is fully established in Ohio.

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70 US OH: LTE: Marijuana Smoking A GatewayFri, 13 May 2016
Source:Blade, The (Toledo, OH) Author:Gibson, Fred Area:Ohio Lines:28 Added:05/14/2016

Because the people of Ohio will support the medical marijuana bill, I hope they are ready to build more rehabilitation facilities when more people turn to heroin. When you ask these people who use heroin, they tell you they got started with marijuana.

Now they say it is only for medicinal purposes, but everybody knows people will be using it for recreational purposes, and more people will be dying from heroin. And we will still be losing the battle.

So people of Ohio, if you vote for marijuana, you will find a lot of room at the cemeteries.

Perrysburg

[end]

71 US OH: House Oks Medical Marijuana BillWed, 11 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Siegel, Jim Area:Ohio Lines:116 Added:05/11/2016

With a proposed constitutional amendment on the horizon, the House voted 71-26 on Tuesday to potentially make Ohio the 26th state to give residents legal access to medical marijuana.

Some members expressed reluctance about the bill - a vote on which would have been near unfathomable just a few years ago - but after hearing of the drug's benefits and facing the prospect of a less-restrictive constitutional amendment on the November ballot, the bill was sent to the Senate. Hearings will start this morning.

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72 US OH: Ohio House Approves Medical Marijuana BillWed, 11 May 2016
Source:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) Author:Provance, Jim Area:Ohio Lines:126 Added:05/11/2016

COLUMBUS - In the biggest shift in state drug policy in decades, the Ohio House voted 71-26 on Tuesday to legalize marijuana for medical use only.

The bill heads to the Senate, where hearings will begin today. Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger voiced confidence that a bill could reach Gov. John Kasich's desk before the General Assembly recesses for the summer before Memorial Day.

Kasich spokesman Joe Andrews said the governor has not committed to signing this bill, but would sign one if it "is written properly and there is a need for it."

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73 US OH: Dealing With HeroinTue, 10 May 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) Author:Leyva, Kelsey Area:Ohio Lines:88 Added:05/10/2016

Detective Discusses Epidemic During Senior Coffee Hour

Waging a war on drugs in Lorain County hasn't been an easy task and there's still plenty of work to be done, according to Detective Gregg Mehling with the Lorain County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force.

Mehling visited the Lorain Public Library System's Columbia Branch, 13824 W. River Road North in Columbia Station, on May 9 for the monthly Senior Coffee Hour to talk about the growing heroin problem in the county and what he considers to be a tremendous health emergency.

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74 US OH: Column: Pot Laws And Attitudes Are All Over The MapTue, 10 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Crisp, John Area:Ohio Lines:93 Added:05/10/2016

You might not like President Barack Obama's political philosophy or leadership style, but you have to admit that he is one cool president.

If you're unconvinced, consider his speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 30. His poise and charm were on full display, and his comedic timing was impeccable.

Still, his best joke made me cringe a little: He said that his popularity rating had been rising. In fact, he said, "The last time I was this high, I was trying to decide on my major."

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75 US OH: Experts: Public Opinion Of Addiction ShiftsSun, 08 May 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Glunt, Nick Area:Ohio Lines:141 Added:05/08/2016

Society Goes From Racist Approach to Empathy.

The Rev. Mike Starks witnessed the destruction of crack cocaine, but not from the sidelines - he was a self-described gangster and drug addict before he became a minister.

The Akron community activist recalls authorities responding to the epidemic, which is said to have lasted from 1984 to the early 1990s, with the all-out War on Drugs. Lawmakers enacted mandatory prison sentences for dealers. Stories in the media blamed addicts for their choices and told of gang-ravaged inner cities.

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76 US OH: Editorial: Pot Bill Must Satisfy DemandSun, 08 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:73 Added:05/08/2016

It looks as if legalization of medical marijuana will come this year, either through pending legislation or through two possible ballot issues to amend the Ohio Constitution. But the Ohio House is larding its bill with unpopular restrictions instead of crafting a plainly worded compromise sufficient to kill the more-extreme ballot issues.

Many proponents of medical marijuana insist that smoking be one of the ways it can be used. But, unlike both ballot issues, House Bill 523 would require those with a marijuana prescription to use vaporization or other devices if they wish to inhale. The bill also would prohibit home-grown marijuana, which the ballot issues would allow in limited quantities.

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77 US OH: Growing Pot Not So Rare In Appalachian RegionSun, 08 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Smola, Jennifer Area:Ohio Lines:152 Added:05/08/2016

WAVERLY, Ohio - Sure, some people grow marijuana in Pike County.

And, yes, some people nurture the tender plants near clearings where the sunshine will hit them and where a water source - generally the Scioto River or one of its feeder creeks - is readily available.

Increasingly often, though, people are moving their operations indoors, adding grow lights and irrigation to keep it all under roof, hidden from nosy neighbors and men and women with badges.

This is not just a Pike County problem. Growing marijuana as a cash crop isn't uncommon in Appalachian communities, where the land is fertile and the opportunity to make money doing something else often isn't.

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78 US OH: Medical Marijuana Proposal Heads To Ohio HouseFri, 06 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:97 Added:05/06/2016

The Ohio House could make history Tuesday by approving legislation to legalize medical marijuana.

While state lawmakers have considered marijuana legislation in the past, no proposal has ever made it out of committee and to the full House for a vote.

House Bill 523 was approved by a special committee Thursday faster than you can say "tetrahydrocannabinol," the chemical in marijuana that produces the "high" when smoking or ingesting it. It also provides pain relief, soothes seizures and increases appetite. There were two minor amendments and no discussion.

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79 US OH: Newest Pot Bill Would Bar SmokingWed, 04 May 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Rowland, Darrel Area:Ohio Lines:69 Added:05/04/2016

Ohioans could not legally smoke medical marijuana under a revamped proposal being rolled out today by state legislators.

Those with a prescription for medical marijuana would be allowed to use vaporization or other inhalant devices.

But the new restriction in the legislation, targeted for a House vote Tuesday, probably sets up a public battle with supporters of proposed November ballot issues that would allow smoking.

Rep. Kirk Schuring of Canton, who was set to brief his fellow GOP House members Tuesday night on the revised measure, said he hopes the special committee he chairs approves the new plan Thursday after seeing it for the first time today. After House passage, Schuring said, he is optimistic the Senate and Kasich administration will quickly approve Ohio becoming the 25th state to legalize medical marijuana.

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80 US OH: Column: Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence ofMon, 02 May 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:97 Added:05/02/2016

Q What should I know about driving and using marijuana in Ohio?

A Ohio law prohibits four acts related to marijuana ingestion and vehicle operation. First, the law prohibits you from operating a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana. Second, the law prohibits you from operating a vehicle if you have a certain concentration of marijuana in your blood (2 nanograms or more per milliliter) or urine (10 nanograms or more per milliliter). Third, the law prohibits you from operating a vehicle with a certain concentration of marijuana metabolite in your blood (50 nanograms or more per milliliter) or urine (35 nanograms or more per milliliter). Fourth, the law prohibits you from operating a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana and while having a certain concentration of marijuana metabolite in your blood (5 nanograms or more per milliliter) or urine (15 nanograms or more per milliliter).

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81 US OH: OPED: Ohio Tries To Figure Out What To Do About PotSun, 01 May 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Suddes, Thomas Area:Ohio Lines:81 Added:05/01/2016

More than a token, but something short of tokin': That's the Ohio General Assembly's task in trying to craft a bill legalizing Ohioans' use of medical marijuana.

The science may or may not be there, at least not entirely. But what looks like a public consensus seems to be. And that consensus is that marijuana's chemical components can help Ohioans fighting certain illnesses or enduring, say, chemotherapy.

Pending in a House committee is House Bill 523, a bipartisan medical marijuana plan sponsored by Reps. Stephen Huffman of Tipp City and Kirk Schuring of Canton, both Republicans, and Dan Ramos, a Lorain Democrat. Huffman's a physician. He earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo's College of Medicine and Life Sciences). Among those praising the House for taking up the medical marijuana issue: Sen. Kenny Yuko, a Richmond Heights Democrat, a longtime proponent of medical marijuana.

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82 US OH: Medical Pot Backers Want Ballot IssueThu, 28 Apr 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Bischoff, Laura A. Area:Ohio Lines:81 Added:04/29/2016

Patients, Caregivers Say Pending Ohio Bill Has Numerous Flaws.

Even if Ohio lawmakers act swiftly on pending legislation to legalize pot as medicine, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana leaders on Wednesday said they'll keep pushing to put a constitutional amendment before voters this fall.

Patients and caregivers said that the bill pending in the Ohio House doesn't go far enough to protect them against losing jobs, will take too long to implement, prohibits home grow and fails to provide a concrete list of ailments that would qualify someone to get medical marijuana.

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83 US OH: OPED: Law Better Option Than AmendmentFri, 22 Apr 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:44 Added:04/23/2016

One way or another, it appears Ohioans who need it will have marijuana in their medicine cabinet. The only questions may be how soon and by whose rules.

A bill introduced this week in the Legislature would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana edibles, patches, plant material and oils, but doesn't allow for the smokable form.

It also prohibits patients from growing their own...

If approved, many of the rules governing distribution, including who can grow it, would be left to a new state commission. Rules would be created within one year to regulate pot farms, dispensaries, laboratories, processors, and physicians.

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84 US OH: Column: Medical Marijuana Apparently On The Move In OhioWed, 20 Apr 2016
Source:Hudson Hub-Times (OH) Author:Kovac, Marc Area:Ohio Lines:98 Added:04/20/2016

Columbus -- Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger said he wasn't stalling on consideration of medical marijuana when his chamber launched a task force and a series of public hearings on legalization earlier this year.

I guess he wasn't kidding.

After years of pushing from advocates, lawmakers in the Ohio House are poised to consider a Republican-sponsored bill that would allow Ohioans to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, at the direction of a licensed physician.

They don't appear to be messing around, either. Rep. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), who headed the task force and who will spearhead the select committee considering the new legislation, said he intends to move the bill rapidly through the chamber.

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85 US OH: LTE: Opposed To Medical MarijuanaSat, 16 Apr 2016
Source:News Herald (Willoughby, OH) Author:Leech, Pat Area:Ohio Lines:37 Added:04/16/2016

Please don't sign a petition to put "medical" marijuana on the ballot.

You may be asked by paid people at a festival.

Marijuana is not a medicine. It does not cure anything.

The American Cancer Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Glaucoma Society and others do not support marijuana as a medicine.

A synthetic form of THC called Marinol is available in pill form.

Marijuana is addictive and promotes using other illicit drugs.

It permanently lowers the IQ of young users and can cause destructive emotional changes.

Fifteen "investors" will pay $500,000 each to be a growing site. It is not really about helping people - it's about making money.

There's no such thing as "medical" marijuana. Please don't sign.

Pat Leech and John Leech

Newbury Township

[end]

86 US OH: PUB LTE: Reform Would Save Money, Better-Serve AddictsSat, 16 Apr 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Pace, Greg Area:Ohio Lines:47 Added:04/16/2016

Let's do something meaningful in Washington that is fully bi-partisan. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, sponsored bill S2123, the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, with 11 bipartisan co-sponsors. As of February, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had said he would put the bill on the floor for a vote if 10 more Republicans would co-sponsor.

As of April, he only needs three more Republicans, but time is running short to get this done prior to the election.

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87 US OH: Details Emerge On Ohio's Medical Marijuana PlanFri, 15 Apr 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Bischoff, Laura A. Area:Ohio Lines:51 Added:04/15/2016

Second Group Gets Go-Ahead to Gather Signatures for Ballot.

COLUMBUS - A second grassroots group got the go-ahead on Thursday to circulate petitions to put a medical marijuana question before voters in November while lawmakers released more details of their plan.

The Ohio Ballot Board certified the "Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Amendment," clearing the way for GrassrootsOhioans to collect 305,591 valid voter signatures by July 6 to qualify for the November ballot.

Another group, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, is already in the field collecting signatures to get its proposed constitutional amendment on the fall ballot.

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88 US OH: Group Gets Ok To Collect SignaturesTue, 05 Apr 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) Author:Cass, Andrew Area:Ohio Lines:58 Added:04/05/2016

The Ohio Ballot Board recently certified Ohioans for Medical Marijuana's petition, allowing the group to begin collecting signatures.

The group, backed by the Washington D.C.-based Medical Policy Project, needs to collect 305,591 valid signatures from Ohio voters by early July in order for the proposed amendment to be added to the November ballot.

If passed, the amendment would allow physicians to prescribe medical marijuana for people with qualifying conditions such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, severe pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. The group has previously said residents would be allowed to petition the state government to add medical conditions to the list.

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89 US OH: Medical-marijuana Backers Seek SignaturesFri, 01 Apr 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:51 Added:04/02/2016

Ohio Ballot Board Gives Go-Ahead to Secure Names Before Election.

A skeptical Ohio Ballot Board on Thursday gave supporters of a medical marijuana constitutional amendment the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures for the fall election.

The board, with only three members present, voted 3-0 to approve the proposal by the Marijuana Policy Project, a national organization working with Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a state affiliate. The group must gather 305,591 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters to put the issue on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

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90 US OH: Medical-Pot Issue Clears Ballot HurdleMon, 28 Mar 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Borchardt, Jackie Area:Ohio Lines:62 Added:03/28/2016

Measure Could Appear Before Ohio Voters in November.

COLUMBUS - Backers of a medical marijuana legalization measure cleared the initial hurdle in the process of placing an issue on the statewide ballot.

National group Marijuana Policy Project and its Ohio political action committee Ohioans for Medical Marijuana want to legalize marijuana use for certain medical conditions, with approval from a physician, through a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on Friday certified the group's petition summary as a "fair and truthful" summary of the proposed law. DeWine rejected the group's initial petition language, and revised language included additional medical conditions that would qualify a person to use marijuana.

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91 US OH: PUB LTE: DeWine Blocking Needed ReliefSun, 27 Mar 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Matteson, Barbara Area:Ohio Lines:29 Added:03/27/2016

I read that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has disqualified one of the proposed medical-marijuana ballot issues for the fourth time ("DeWine cites multiple flaws in rejecting marijuana issue," Dispatch article, March 19).

There has to be a personal vendetta of some sort involved for him to pick apart the proposal four times. Does he not realize that there are many people who are in intense pain waiting for this amendment to become a reality. Does DeWine have no one else to answer to? Is there no one who can turn this around? Or are we at the mercy of DeWine to use his personal beliefs to overrule public opinion ?

Barbara Matteson

Richwood

[end]

92 US OH: Column: Is Medical Marijuana Right For Ohio?Sun, 27 Mar 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Parker, Phillip L. Area:Ohio Lines:81 Added:03/27/2016

Ohio may once again debate the pros and cons of marijuana this year, but not in the same context as in 2015. This time around, many believe it will focus on the medicinal use of marijuana and that use only. Currently there is talk about two different groups that may bring the medical marijuana issue into play for Ohioans.

First the legislature, both House and Senate, is taking up this issue this spring and summer. Each is asking for both citizen and business input as to the merits of medical marijuana use in Ohio, and if there are any particular concerns either of those two constituencies have if our state's elected leaders should decide to pass some form of medical-related legislation.

[continues 503 words]

93 US OH: Column: Nixon And The Drug WarFri, 25 Mar 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Rollins, Ron Area:Ohio Lines:29 Added:03/25/2016

A report in Harper's magazine is getting attention for a theory on how the so-called war on drugs began during the Nixon administration.

Reporter Dan Baum looks at the origins of the policy, and offers a bizarre quote fromJohn Erlichman, Nixon's domestic policy adviser. Harper's editor, Ellen Rosenbush, writes that Erlichman told Baum the Nixon team cooked up the war on drugs to discredit groups who disagreed with it - African-Americans and young protestors:

"'Did we know we were lying about the drugs?' Ehrlichman told Baum in 1994. 'Of course we did.' The Nixon White House thought of the antiwar left and black people as enemies. 'But by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.'"

Hmmm. Your thoughts? Email rrollins@coxohio. com.

[end]

94 US OH: Column: For-Profit Rehab Firms Lack Incentives to HelpTue, 22 Mar 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Sanchez, Mary Area:Ohio Lines:79 Added:03/22/2016

Nancy Reagan's recent death was a reminder of the shallow moralizing of the Just Say No anti-drug campaign she once championed.

Thankfully, attitudes have changed. We're more attuned to the fact that untreated mental health issues often are a precursor to drug use. Nancy's slogan won't help much there.

Most people realize that the war on drugs, begun under President Richard Nixon, has failed.

And there's growing public awareness that we've let our jails and prisons become warehouses for people who need treatment - and who needed it long before they took a criminal turn.

[continues 417 words]

95 US OH: Dewine Rejects Pot Ballot EffortMon, 21 Mar 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:29 Added:03/21/2016

Attorney General Mike DeWine has, for a fourth time, rejected one group's effort to get a medical marijuana question on Ohio's ballot.

DeWine said Friday he found at least 11 defects in the latest constitutional amendment proposed by the group Ohio Medical Cannabis Care LLC.

He says the summary language states that persons over the age of 21 must obtain a registration card or certificate from the group to grow medical marijuana, sometimes called cannabis.

But the amendment itself says all patients over the age of 21 "possess the right to grow medical cannabis."

His office found the summary and full text contained other inconsistent statements.

DeWine's earlier rejections were in July, October and January.

[end]

96 US OH: Od Deaths Set Record In Butler County In '15Sat, 19 Mar 2016
Source:Journal-News (Hamilton, OH) Author:Stewart, Chris Area:Ohio Lines:102 Added:03/20/2016

The number of people who died from heroin-related overdoses in Butler County reached a record level last year, but deaths from heroin and its more potent partner fentanyl leveled off in other parts of the region..

Butler County's record 189 overdose deaths (149 were attributed to heroin/fentanyl) were 52 more than the all-time high set in 2014.

"The scary thing for us is we had more overdose deaths than deaths by natural causes," said Martin Schneider, the Butler County Coroner's Office administrator. "The mixture of heroin and fentanyl is a particularly potent combination."

[continues 584 words]

97 US OH: DeWine Cites Multiple Flaws in Rejecting MedicalSat, 19 Mar 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:43 Added:03/19/2016

Citing 11 separate flaws, Attorney General Mike DeWine today rejected the wording for a proposed medical marijuana constitutional ballot issue.

It was the fourth time DeWine rebuffed the proposed Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment.

The group backing the proposal, Ohio Medical Cannabis Care LLC, filed more than the minimum 1,000 signatures of registered voters needed to submit language for the proposal amendment, one of several in the works regarding medical marijuana.

However, DeWine found numerous mistakes that caused him to disqualify the proposal as being a "fair and truthful" summary of the proposed amendment.

[continues 133 words]

98 US OH: OPED: Feds Take Right Direction On OpioidsSat, 19 Mar 2016
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:81 Added:03/19/2016

Slowly but surely, like the proverbial aircraft carrier, the U.S. government is changing to a new and better course on the long-neglected issue of opioid abuse and addiction.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took an emphatic stand against the loose prescribing norms that have fueled the growth of opioid consumption for non-cancer pain, with the terrible result that 16,000 people a year die from overdoses.

Labeling the drugs "dangerous," and noting that evidence did not support their long-term efficacy for most cases of chronic pain, CDC Director Thomas Frieden urged physicians to follow more-cautious new CDC guidelines that emphasize alternative pain-management techniques. Dr. Frieden and his colleagues deserve credit for incorporating a range of views in the guidelines while resisting pressure to weaken them from interest groups that support the status quo.

[continues 395 words]

99 US OH: Dewine Nixes Medical Pot ProposalMon, 14 Mar 2016
Source:Dayton Daily News (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:44 Added:03/14/2016

Attorney General Noted 3 Errors in the Proposal.

A medical marijuana ballot proposal aiming for the November election was dealt a setback Friday when Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected the petition.

The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, D.C., submitted its petition March 3. The group would have to gather 305,291 signatures of registered voters to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall. The national organization is working through an Ohio affiliate, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana.

After examining the wording of the proposal, DeWine rejected it because of three errors, including a confusion about the number of medical marijuana cultivation facilities. He also found fault with a provision that would prevent marijuana users from being penalized for "operating a motor vehicle, aircraft, train, or motorboat while impaired by marijuana." There was also a mistake about the date for obtaining a valid medical marijuana registration card.

[continues 97 words]

100 US OH: Editorial: Keep The Drug Arrests ComingSun, 13 Mar 2016
Source:Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:120 Added:03/13/2016

This week's arrests of nine alleged high-level drug dealers in Lorain and Elyria sends a clear message that law enforcement agencies in these cities are once again fed up with peddlers selling this poison on our streets.

It's also a message most of us should agree with that enough is enough.

Five deaths in the last two weeks from drug overdoses is too much for this community. One death is too many.

Authorities say there is no connection between the recent overdose deaths and the arrests in Lorain and Elyria.

[continues 760 words]


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