The City Club
Ian James, Executive Director of ResponsibleOhio, represented the pro-legalization side. William Denihan, Director of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board (ADAMHS), took the opposing view.
Both men articulated familiar arguments for and against marijuana legalization generally, and both provided persuasive statistics to suggest that their point of view was superior. James, a savvy campaigner, spoke strongly against an ineffectual state legislature, stating that Ohio has “epically failed” to reform marijuana laws since 1997, when it was first introduced to the general assembly.
He spoke also of the “cruel hoax” of decriminalization, saying that just because marijuana possession has been decriminalized doesn’t mean that it’s legal. You still receive a fine and lose your driver’s license if you get caught “with a single joint in your pocket.” James also cited the racial disparity of marijuana enforcement, saying that in Cuyahoga County, black people are six times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession. It’s even worse in other parts of the state.
Denihan, talking largely from prepared notes, leaned on the expertise of the medical community. He said he wouldn’t even support the legalization of medical marijuana until it was sanctioned by the FDA. He said that in Colorado, where pot is legal for medical and personal use, DUIs for marijuana have increased drastically, as have school expulsions and hospital stays for marijuana-related issues.
“Our youth would benefit the most,” Denihan said, when asked about who stood to lose or gain if the measure was not passed. “Their perception that marijuana is not harmful would become a reality. If we vote no, the benefit would be a greater understanding that it is harmful in the progression of individuals using drugs… Our kids emulate us. They do what we do and they’re really good at it.”
James responded that the only group who stood to benefit if Issue 3 did not pass was drug dealers. But if Issue 3 passed, “society” stood to gain the most. James said we’d use the $554 million in annual revenue to fund important issues like heroin treatment and infrastructure, and that law enforcement could spend their time on more pressing matters.
The Plain Dealer reported Sunday, however, that ResponsibleOhio has grossly overestimated the annual revenue figure. The Ohio Office of Management and Budget said that a fully functioning legal marijuana market might generate between $133 million and $293 million per year (all in tax revenue). The $554 million figure that ResponsibleOhio keeps touting comes from a study they commissioned themselves.
Still, the conversation lacked a meaningful discussion on the aspect of monopoly ownership. What makes marijuana legalization unique in Ohio is that marijuana growth will be limited to 10 facilities owned and operated by a monopoly — the same moneyed entities who are financing ResponsibleOhio.
The monopoly issue is why the Plain Dealer, for one, has endorsed a NO vote on Issue 3.
“Even if it is the inclination of the people of Ohio to legalize weed, giving ten business groups the exclusive right — as part of the Ohio Constitution — to grow cannabis in large volume is not the way to go about doing it,” the editorial board wrote in August. “Encouraging competition with adequate oversight and regulation of the product and sales could, perhaps, be the better way. But even that should be preceded by the sort of open and honest discussion about marijuana legalization and its possible impacts that is being short-circuited by ResponsibleOhio’s monetarily supercharged drive for the ballot.”
When asked by a City Club audience member — “Why should we believe that 10 very wealthy people in Ohio that stand to benefit greatly would have the interest of the common people in mind?” — James conceded that yes, the ten entities bankrolling the initiative stood to make money if Issue 3 passed. But he said the reality is that this costs money, and when “the statehouse has literally refused to reform marijuana laws,” someone else has to pay to get it done.
Denihan’s response: “A monopoly’s a monopoly’s a monopoly.”
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 6, 2015.
Mr Denihan, If you are so against monopolies then start by breaking the current once in Ohio such as power companies cable companies, utility companies, or even the private prison monopoly which our republican politicians are heavily invested in. Reaping the word monopoly like a child’s tantrum is a sure way to get your but kicked in November. Thank god for idiots like this that solidify the legalization effort. YES ON 3, NO ON TWO.
Mr Denihan if you so against monopolies start by breaking up the current ones such as power companies, utility companies, cable companies, and the private prison system monopolies which our republican politicians are heavily invested in. Pitching tantrums like a spoiled child is a sure way to get your but kicked in November. Thank god for idiots like you that only solidify our legalization effort. VOTE YES ON 3, NO on two.
With gun violence, gangs, domestic abuse, drive bye shooting, dead babies, political corruption,, bribes, and the list goes on and on….time to free-up time and money for our law and order system to do their job, free up space in our prisons, free up peoples lives to get a job, provide medication to those that need it, hunker down of drunk drivers, minimize the black market drug trade, give addicts an option or treatment to our terrible heroin problem, not to mention prescription drug abuse, etc.
Oh for Gods sake Legalize it – all of it – should have been done years ago! Let’s devote our precious time to things that really matters to make us safe and secure. No need to be SlowHiO this time. 3 perfect? – hardly but it’s a start. Regardless, always be responsible. YES on 3 – NO on 2 boo.
If only there were a provision to grow yourself. Then the anti Oligopoly folks could enjoy the freedom of marijuana while subverting the “rich jerks” who made it possible.
What many seem to forget is that you will be allowed to grow for personal use. Also they will be able to add locations and expand the number of people behind the facilities which are authorized to suplly the dispensaries. This means that if everyones fear of lack of competition resulting in inferior and medically useless product comes to a reallity, not only can patients choose to grow whatever strain helps their issues best, but more farms can be set up to increase the diversity of product and bring in more competition. Also instead of someone else having to spend insane amounts of money to get the legalization issue close to the ballot, we will be able to vote to reform and reword the issue next year.
YES ON 3 ! RO is the ONLY group anywhere close to raising the funding and 800,000 signatures needed for a ballot campaign. Vote no and it will be many years until legal cannabis comes to ohio. Responsible Ohioans For Cannabis has stated that we can amend RO’s plan next year to allow for small business, etc. Vote yes now and end the criminality of weed and give sick and dying patients access to their medicine.
A temporary monopoly is far better than prohibition.
Anyone or any business that is against legal cannabis is a fool. No one has ever died in history from cannabis yet alcohol kills thousands. Businesses already drug test for cannabis and businesses in legal states like Colorado still drug test. Legalization does not force businesses to accept cannabis users (yet they should).
Colorado police and military are reporting a constant decline in DUI’s, violent crime, domestic abuse, youth drug use, and hard drug use like heroin. And they are collecting $60+ million a year in taxes for their schools, etc. It is a win-win for everyone.
Voted no today for issue 3. I was the first one in my county to vote.
That bs Jimmy , their aloud to add 1 more farm after 4 years. If the 10 farms couldn’t keep up with demand. So then they be an 11 farm monopoly. Also because of the limitations on amounts 8 oz . The home grow is impractical because of cost. The responsibleohio plan is the only plan in the country that won’t let you get a doctors prescription to grow and posses more than 8 oz. I guess the folks at responsibleohio know more about your medical needs than your doctor.
You can not just tweek a constitutional amendment to fix it later.
Monopolies of any kind are not good.
Legalization will happen.
3 is the WRONG way.
Where are the pro’s this article is over the top bias on cons. A little equilibrium might not hurt this article. VOTE YES ON 3, no on two.
I love it. I see people here that think we don’t have enough impaired people driving cars. And don’t give me the story about it doesn’t make you impaired. There have been two this month that some one driving under the influence ran their car into someones house. Guess they couldn’t see it. Even the Governor of Colorado said they made a mistake. So far they have 80% of there auto accidents are by alcohol or drugs, that is 40% for each.
I actually hope that if you are one of the uninformed people that vote for this, that one of your loved ones is the first to be killed by an impaired driver. YES on 2 , NO on 3. Please give our kids a chance to grow up. Making it legal does not stop the criminalization of drugs because as in Colorado, they found people buying it legally and then sell it to young kids.
Excuse me while I dance on the crushed hopes and dreams of everyone that wanted us to vote yes on the monopoly that was issue 3. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (laughs and dances on your imaginary crushed hopes and dreams).
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that wasn’t very nice and I shouldn’t have done that. We’re still friends, right?