[image-1]Today, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine certified Grassroots Ohioans’ petition summary, which laid out the group’s intended Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hemp amendment. With that, the state suddenly has two medical marijuana proposals in the works — each with the stated goal of landing on the November ballot.
The Grassroots Ohioans amendment is fairly straightforward. There is no regulatory structure prescribed for the state constitution, though the group will circulate a citizen-initiated statute to set up marijuana rules as laws. In short, the amendment asserts the rights of adults to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes. Notably, the proposal would also allow farmers to grow industrial hemp, which can be used to produce paper, textiles, plastics and many other common products.
Lastly, the Grassroots Ohioans amendment would prohibit law enforcement and the courts system from citing only the presence of marijuana metabolites in blood or urine to prove the impairment of a driver. The idea there is that metabolites may remain in the system weeks after marijuana use. (Amendment language was posted in a Google Doc, which was shared and edited “by hundreds of citizens, local stakeholders, and experts prior to submission,” according to the group.)
Meanwhile, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, with the backing of the Marijuana Policy Project, is collecting signatures for its own amendment. Under that proposal, 15 commercial growing licenses would be issued to large-scale growers who pay a $500,000 application fee, and smaller-scale growers would have access to an unlimited number of licenses across the state (that is to say, individual approved patients could grow up to six plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana).
That amendment also seeks a Medical Marijuana Control Division, which would develop and oversee marijuana rules and issue business licenses.
This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2016.
The grassroots Ohioans proposal sounds alright, but the latter does not.
If the individual can’t grow freely like Colorado, up to 100 plants, we will not see significant economic growth like Colorado.
Vote against any issue that allows a few people to grow large quantities commercially exclusively and not regular citizens.
Yellow journalism has become the norm in today’s society. The mpp measure allows anyone to grow up to 5000 sq feet, which means anyone can grow as many plants (200) that you can fit. The other amendment leaves it up to legislature in Columbus to decide how many you can grow (0). So sad to see people misled by the news. Or is this a blog?
This article seems to be a bit misleading. The grassroots amendment does not actually guarantee anything because the regulation is left up to the state which means everything is unknown. The grassroots amendment does not guarantee that commercial production will be open to citizens either The Ohioans for Medical Marijuana Amendment allows an unlimited number of medium sized grows. The medium grow licenses would allow for 5000sq ft of flowering canopy. This would be roughly 1000 flowering plants. There is no limit on the total size of facility or total plants that are in a vegetative state. This article should be edited.
Grassroots Ohio leaves out answers to quite a few questions, but the people following this MPP train forgets is that they won’t even be able to take advantage of medical until 2018 if the MPP measure is passed. Two year wait is ridiculous.
The regulation OF COMMERCE and for product safety (banning certain pesticides or making sure edibles are safe.) It DOES guarantee the right to CULTIVATE, TRADE, TRANSPORT AND USE “WHOLE PLANT” cannabis with NO LIMIT on the number of plants or total amount in your home (as long as I don’t sell any I can legally brew 100+ gallons of beer/wine; I keep hearing they want to regulate it like alcohol so why not ACTUALLY do it?) Plus if ^Shiminsky was actually telling the truth he’d realize that if it was really pharma trying to scam us like he’s been claiming for WEEKS now; why don’t they have TWICE the money RO threw away last year? UNTIL they regulate commerce it will be a free for all; if they over regulate we send another 90k signature statute.
i will sign both bills, i will vote YES on both bills. People want to pretend that those agaisnt making this plant, will be choosing which LEGALIZATION Bill to pick and choose? They will vote no on every bill, we need to vote YES on every bill or Every Bill will Fail, that is just common sense and basic math fellow Citizens. This reporter did a very bad job, he left out many facts that some comments are filling in. The grassroots plan is nice, but in 1969, the US supreme court actually actually reversed Prohibition but our crooked Politician, Richard Nixon pulled his patented ” Dick Move”, and made the Drug Schedule and put Cannabis on the top. Yes, our Constitution says the Government has no right to limit our use of Marijuana, especially in the privacy of our lives, its not allowed but they will still kick in your door and take you to prison for it.. This only proves that if we leave the law wide open to our Politicians? They will steal our rights over Corporate Greed every-time.
The MPP bill is 15 large grows, unlimited 5,000 square feet of Flowering Canopy grows, on top of these factory type grows, each patient can grow 3 / 3 grows with no limit to what each plant can produce. Both of these bills are good bills. The big obstacle is the very idea of voting for one and not the other, that is a recipe for both to fail. Support Legalization, sign and vote for any Legalization Bill that ever makes the ballot. Look to other legal states, you want to battle over Legalization? Just wait till a bill passes and you will see a Grand Battle, between Corporate GREED and People’s Rights! We have to PASS A BILL FIRST!