Well, it happened. ResponsibleOhio was able to pull it off. They got enough petition signatures to be on the ballad this November.
But now there is a new bump in the road for the proposal. And it will be on the very same ballad.
Issue 2 is a measure that would prohibit language granting “a monopoly, oligopoly or cartel” in the Ohio Constitution. It was written and added to the ballot by the Ohio legislature in June as a counter-action. ResponsibleOhio would limit commercial crop farms in the state to just 10 growers. Those investors, already picked, are poised to make potential billions on an untapped marijuana industry in the state. The idea is that Issue 2 would effectively prevent the implementation of ResponsibleOhio, on the grounds that a 10-grower-limit should be considered an oligopoly.
It will certainly be a hard decision for many. Sure, ResponsibleOhio is built around creating profits for its investors. And there are other issues with the proposal that could be pointed out, like limiting home growers to 4 plants. ResponsibleOhio certainly leaves much to be desired. But does that mean we should instead choose to allow prohibition to continue by not voting for it?
And what about Issue 2? Most would agree that preventing monopolies is generally a great thing, for any state. But is that really the purpose of Issue 2, or is it simply using a technicality to try to prolong cannabis prohibition?
Again, it seems to be a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. Which will you choose?
Feel free to comment with your opinion.
Sources:
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/responsible-ohio-biggest-obstacle-to-legalized-pot-on-ohio-ballot-may-be-issue-2
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/08/marijuana_legalization_amendme.html