Ohio is messed up

Better then what you have is not always the best answer.

 

 
What you have right now, or at least when i lived there, is a system that makes casual usage an almost non-problem...lived in canton for 4 years, grew for one... I never had any problems. loved pretty much all of NEOH, used to just get a bowl and a gram and drive the backroads until i ran outta weed XD *sighs* miss those days

 

You're right about that, brother. I've been spreading the word about this new bill, telling folks to vote against it. Ill take a misdemeanor charge for possession any day over 10 select people who can grow in the state. What kind of bullshit is that?
 
I have no problem smoking in public places. I just pull out my cigarette looking one hitter pipe. I was smoking it right outside of the bars on W. 6th in Cleveland this past weekend, didn't get any hassle from cops, at all!

 

That's total bullshit ten greedy fuckers who want to make millions by controlling the market. Its already decently chill in Ohio on weed we don't need something that stupid

 

It's simple : no right to grow your own = vote NO.
 
Less than 100g is already completely decriminalized in Ohio.

 

The more I've thought about this new bill, the more I am on the fence with it.
 
I'm against the bill for obvious reasons.
 
At the same time, I've slowly been thinking that it is a step in the right direction. As a "guerilla caregiver," it may be more beneficial to me. Think about it.
 
 
There's a selected 10 people in the state that are allowed to produce and sell cannabis. What kind of cannabis are they going to produce and sell? Will they have extracts (BHO, Bubble Hash, etc.)? Will they have edibles? How much are they going to charge for their products? How many stores/dispensaries will there be in the state? How convenient will these stores/dispensaries be to access for the general public?
 
Sure, the legalization may drive the "black market" price of weed downward. However, I feel it will make everything more transparent. Me personally, as a grower, would feel much more relaxed with the legalized use of cannabis. The stores will most likely try to charge outlandish prices for weed, the quality will most likely not be there, and there probably wont be much of a selection. All of this makes a much better environment for growers. We wont have to live in the shadows as much. Law enforcement won't be able to tell the difference between an 8th purchased at the store as compared with an 8th purchased from a grower.
 
I'm totally against a monopoly of any sort. But I also think this bill will miserably fail if put into effect. I mean really, considering the huge underground cannabis movement, how can a monopoly be created if it is still illegal on a federal scale?
 
Just some thoughts on the whole thing. I'll probably be up in arms against it in a few months. It's nice to look at things from a different perspective every once in awhile I suppose.

 

there's also another group that's trying to get it legalized, but aren't trying to create a monopoly.
http://responsibleohioans.org/

 

I've been spending a LOT of time thinking about this bill. Up front, I think it's a terrible idea. For every pro, there is a major con:
 
Pro: It is a step towards legalization
Con: Unlike legalization in Colorado, if passed cannabis would be controlled by a commission, not the voters. This is the same sort of ultra-capitalist backed cronyism that runs D.C. - Grassroots campaigns advocating freedom for our plant would become totally ineffective, and would ultimately be replaced by the sort of lobbying only large corporations can afford.
 
*Edit: research the approval of casinos in Ohio that recently passed, as this proposal is very similar. Yes, they operate legally now, but with the time, effort and money spent for the current system to be passed through the legal system, you can bet that any attempts to change it will be met with strong resistance. The casinos monopolizing the legislation don't want the competition, the legislators don't want the hassle.
 
Pro: It will provide a legitimate source of cannabis
Con: Controlled by a select group of corporate types
 
Pro: It creates discussion about legalization at the state-level
Con: If it fails, I GUARANTEE you politicians will use it as "see, Ohioans don't want weed legalized", ignoring the actual reasons why even marijuana advocates think this is a sh*tty bill
 
Pro: The people behind the bill claim it will lower prices compared to "black market" sources.
Con: This claim has no factual basis, and this bill effectively allows them to determine market prices. Without a legislated cap that goes beyond a percentage-based tax, there is no guarantee. I'm sure they will match or slightly undercut market prices, but "lower" is a relative term.
 
 
Overall, it's a bad proposition. Sadly, politicians, pundits and opponents will all leap on it not going through and use that (as I have already said) as "proof" that Ohio does not want weed legalized. So really this ballot (since it's not going to pass with a majority vote since it doesn't garner support of normal cannabis users) only serves to damage the chances of weed legalization happening in 2016, and for that the 10 corporate cronies who are trying to pass it through get a sarcastic "thanks a lot, guys" and a middle finger from me.

 

How do you know? The last time I checked, they have not released the official language for the bill.
 
 
I would just like to wait and see how bad this language actually is. A couple of curveballs could really change the whole bill around.
 
 
But my thoughts still stand. Pot is still illegal in Ohio, and I am witness to a large amount of the population breaking that law. Just because a couple of asswipes think that they can corner the market doesn't mean that it will actually work. If passed under the proposed bill, I can see dispensaries few and far between, high prices, low quality, and little variety. Even in Colorado they have top shelf selling for $50-60 an eighth. I don't mean to sound conceited, but with the genetics I have, I'm really not phased by 10 people saying they want to come in and take over the entire state. I just can't see them being successful with it.

 

The "Casino" method of legalization is beyond belief...secret owners, secret locations, secret profits, margins...etc....set up so that only the State Control Board knows a damn thing is just too much control and reeks of Republicanism. You asswipes in Ohio that keep electing these control freak Republicans are now reaping what you have sown. I'm not sure wishy washy flip flopping Democrats would be much better at running things there but at least the Church Gestapo would be run out of town. WTF is wrong with OHIO?

 

All Ohio citizens should support "Responsible Ohioans for Cannabis" - http://responsibleohioans.org/ - The non-monoloply political action committee.
\n\nThe 10 monopoly assholes are calling themselves "Responsible Ohio" trying to tie their name to the better group.

 

Where did political affiliation come in to this discussion? It didnt. Someone can also argue that its too liberal, that the state run control boards are controlled by the government, which is like communism. We can run around in circles about it. Take your tin foil hat discussions elsewhere.
 
A friend of mine read an article he found the other day to me on the phone. He read that Responsible Ohio may be trying to change their legislation to allow anyone to grow and sell to dispensaries? Since they know that they will have an overwhelming vote for "no"? Not sure how true it is, theres alot of crap floating around the interwebz. Hopeful thinking at least though.

 

This secretive , monopolistic cabal designed to stifle the independent small grower seems to have little chance of success. Take a look at 99% of the comments under the Ohio newspaper article regarding ResponsibleOHIO's changes regarding allowing home grow, with licence, no sell. The public was burned once with gambling, they are now wary of these strangers bearing gifts.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/02/responsibleohio_to_revise_mari.html#incart_related_stories

 

ohio will probably go legal in 2015 because they're after that one world thing, one nation no differences thing, and ohio is near the center of the country and nobody wants to live there because it's so countryfied.  It's probably cheap to live in right now too, if you're looking for a legal weed state to get into

 

<section id="module-position-OR6HLBBgZ5A" class="storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module"><h1 class="asset-headline" itemprop="headline">Will Ohio legalize marijuana this year?</h1></section><section id="module-position-OR6HLBAVq2I" class="storytopbar-bucket priority-asset-module"></section><section id="module-position-OR6HLBBgU28" class="storytopbar-bucket story-byline-module"> Chrissie Thompson, cthompson@enquirer.com 10:13 a.m. EDT July 8, 2015
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</div>COLUMBUS – The race to make Ohio the fifth state to legalize marijuana starts this week, as activists seek the Midwestern, swing-state win that would cement their momentum nationwide.
The bipartisan Ohio Ballot Board on Friday approved a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would
• <span class="-newsgate--ccix-command-133">allow pot use by adults over the age of 21,</span>
• legalize medical marijuana for minors, with parental consent,
• limit the commercial growth of marijuana to 10 sites owned by the investors that are paying for the ballot campaign. Adults over the age of 21 would be able to obtain a license to grow up to four marijuana plants for their personal use, but not for sale.
Now, supporters must gather nearly 306,000 signatures by July to reach their goal of qualifying for the November 2015 ballot – a target well within reach for the wealthy investors and the experienced campaign team they're paying to gather the signatures and market the measure.
Still, the proposed amendment, with its limit on commercial growers, faces opposition from some of Ohio's longtime marijuana proponents. They're pushing alternate measures.
"Those people … have invested their lives and taken great risks to get us to where we are today," said Keith Stroup, an attorney with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "We would like the market to be open to small- and mid-sized growers, not just the big guys."
Even so, NORML will likely support the measure if it qualifies for the ballot, he said.
"If we could legalize marijuana in Ohio, it opens up a whole section of the country that's generally considered not favorable to legalization," Stroup said. "It would demonstrate that we could legalize marijuana in any state where we had an organized and well-funded campaign."
<b>$20 million – & exclusive pot-growing rights</b>
ResponsibleOhio, the group behind the latest ballot initiative, is seeking to pioneer a model for financing a marijuana-legalization campaign.
In other states, grassroots pot supporters have banded together, with the financial support of a national marijuana group, to gather signatures and pay for a ballot campaign. But in Ohio, an investor group led by Cincinnati sports agent James Gould is putting up about $20 million to finance the effort itself.
The catch? The amendment would give those investors exclusive rights to profiting from the growth of cannabis in Ohio.
The group is putting another $20 million into developing 10 marijuana farms across the state – anchoring the effort in Southwest Ohio, with three farms in Greater Cincinnati and one just north in Montgomery. The exclusive growing market has been called everything from a "monopoly" to a "cartel" by anti-marijuana politicians and traditional marijuana supporters alike.
"We sort of hate to see them come in and get rich on the hard work we've done over the decades," said Stroup, of NORML.
Still, none of the Ohio groups that have supported legalizing medical marijuana have had enough money or organizational prowess to put an amendment on the ballot so far. Three other weed-related amendments have received state approval to gather signatures since 2011. But without money for a petition campaign, supporters have been unable to qualify for the ballot, much less to pay for a campaign to turn out voters.
ResponsibleOhio's "oligopoly" proposal has awakened marijuana supporters this year, said John Pardee, who hopes to put a medical marijuana amendment on the November ballot as a competing option.
"I honestly think they're in real trouble," he said. "We're going to be successful."
Still, Pardee's group has only gathered 150,000 signatures so far and has failed to attract national money to boost that effort.
"You're not going to get what you want if you don't start with money in the bank," said Chris Lindsey, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, which has financed some of the campaigns that have legalized recreational pot in four states and medical marijuana in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Lindsey's group plans to support – but not finance – ResponsibleOhio's effort, even though Marijuana Policy Project would prefer proposal that didn't limit the growing process to 10 investor-backed farms.
"We definitely support replacing the status quo. Marijuana prohibition is a colossal failure, and it needs to go," Lindsey said.
Blue Ash's Rob Ryan, president of the Ohio chapter of NORML, said he'll support any efforts that move marijuana legalization forward.
"I think it's funny people want to oppose a plan that makes progress, (just) because of economics," Ryan said.
<b>But can it pass this year?</b>
If ResponsibleOhio succeeds in changing Ohio law, it will have taken advantage of a shift in public opinion that was already underway. Last year, a Quinnipiac University poll found 8-to-1 support for medical marijuana, including support from 78 percent of Republican respondents. A slim majority of Ohioans in the poll – 51 percent – even said they'd support allowing adults in Ohio to possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use
But national marijuana groups worry investors are targeting the wrong election. This fall's election lacks a major statewide or national race. Such an "off-off-year election" typically attracts an older, more conservative mix of voters than a presidential year such as 2016. That could skew the electorate toward people who would oppose marijuana legalization, some fear.
ResponsibleOhio's internal polling indicates it can win in 2015, even with a traditional off-off-year electorate, said campaign manager Ian James, who has led signature-gathering efforts such as the 2011 referendum to repeal the anti-union Senate Bill 5.
"The issue is finding the resonance with those voters," James said.
"When you talk with older voters and you talk about marijuana being able to treat Alzheimer's, arthritis, assisting the children who suffer from dozens of seizures a day, rather than ravaging their bodies with opiates … old, young, black, white, men, women come to the point of saying, 'I want to provide the compassionate care that this amendment provides. And I want to treat adults who are 21 and older as adults and allow them to purchase, possess and consume marijuana just the same way we do with alcohol."
Jon Allison, an attorney with the anti-marijuana Drug Free Action Alliance, said the investors behind the marijuana-legalization campaign are feigning interest in helping sick people.
"What they want to put in our state constitution is centered on a singular theme and desire, and it is purely and simply, greed," Allison said in a statement. "Ask the cartel investors if their hearts would be in this without a constitutionally guaranteed return on investment."
The proposed amendment would require marijuana growers, commercial processors and retail outlets to pay an extra 15 percent tax on their revenue. Consumers would pay an additional 5 percent tax when they purchase a joint or another cannabis product, potentially on top of the usual sales tax. Most of the revenue from the special tax would go to city, township and county governments to spend on police departments, firefighting and road and bridge repair.
ResponsibleOhio projects Ohioans would annually purchase more than $2.2 billion in legal marijuana by 2020, when the market has stabilized. That would be $271 for every resident older than 21 who could legally purchase it, according to a Gannett Ohio analysis.
But that figure may be on the high side. Consumers in Colorado purchased about $700 million in medical and retail marijuana in 2014, the first year it was legal. That amounted to $190 for every resident older than 21.
Ultimately, James said he thinks Ohio's traditional marijuana supporters will coalesce around ResponsibleOhio's ballot proposal. Once the amendment qualifies for the ballot, the wealthy investors plan to pay for another ballot campaign: a proposal to require the review and, possibly, expungement of criminal records related to past marijuana crimes.
In 2015, ResponsibleOhio's marijuana proposal "will be the only issue on the ballot and the only one that has the resources to win," James predicted. "To vote down the only possibility you have to legalize marijuana would be foolhardy."
<i>Gannett Ohio reporters Benjamin Lanka and Jessie Balmert contributed.</i>

<b>Other options for legalizing?</b>
Two other Ohio marijuana groups oppose the ResponsibleOhio amendment and are gathering signatures actively for their own legalization effort.
<b>Ohio Cannabis Rights amendment</b>
<b>Website:</b>OhioRightsGroup.org
Summary: Would allow for medical / "therapeutic" use of cannabis and industrial hemp. Would allow people to grow cannabis at home for personal therapeutic use. Commercial sales would be regulated.
<b>Status:</b> Cleared to gather signatures on May 23, 2013. Petition committee member John Pardee said his group has collected roughly 150,000 signatures. He hopes the amendment can make the ballot alongside ResponsibleOhio's measure, to give people a choice.
<b>Opinion on ResponsibleOhio:</b> Pardee said his effort is the "people's amendment," while ResponsibleOhio offers a "corporate amendment." He called the amendment a "very dangerous precedent."
<b>End Ohio Cannabis Prohibition Act</b>
<b>Website:</b>ResponsibleOhioans.org
<b>Summary:</b> Would allow for all adults 18 or older to use marijuana and to grow up to 24 plants for their personal use. Allows the Legislature to create a licensing process for commercial growers. No special taxes beyond standard sales tax.
<b>Status:</b> Rejected by Attorney General Mike DeWine last month; plan to tweak language and resubmit. "We've got volunteers coming in by the droves because of this ResponsibleOhio petition," said Tonya Davis, of Kettering, one of the group's leaders.
<b>Opinion on ResponsibleOhio: </b>"They only allow 10 (growers). That just drives me nuts. I think it's going to end up creating another class of criminal. They're just changing the means of prohibition. If you're going to legalize it, legalize it; don't monopolize it," Davis said. "These folks that are coming in know nothing about cannabis. They just have the money."
Chrissie Thompson and Benjamin Lanka

 

Giving up the whole farm for hit a taste. No thanks.

 

<h1>Ohio Farm Bureau opposes ResponsibleOhio marijuana legalization plan</h1>
The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation is the first statewide organization to oppose ResponsibleOhio's marijuana legalization amendment. (Elaine Thompson, Associated Press)

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</div> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation announced Friday it opposes a marijuana-legalization proposal that is likely to appear on the November ballot.
The organization is the first statewide group to oppose ResponsibleOhio's proposed constitutional amendment, which would create a legal pot industry with commercial marijuana grown at 10 farms promised to campaign investors.
Farm bureau trustees say the proposal doesn't belong in the Ohio Constitution, would create a monopoly that excludes average Ohioans and would put Ohio at odds with federal law prohibiting marijuana.
"The state constitution is about guaranteeing Ohioans' basic freedoms, not guaranteeing a few people's profits," John C. Fisher, the federation's executive vice president, said in a news release.
The group has not yet taken a position on a legislature-sponsored ballot issue that would prohibit constitutional amendments protecting monopolies and other economic interests. The anti-monopoly issue was written so if both it and ResponsibleOhio's amendment pass, the marijuana amendment would be void.
ResponsibleOhio submitted nearly 700,000 signatures of Ohio voters to the Secretary of State's Office last month in an attempt to qualify for the November ballot. County boards of election have been validating those signatures and the secretary of state will release the results by early next week. If the group falls short, it will have 10 days to collect the difference.
If approved by voters this fall, marijuana could be sold for recreational use in Ohio by mid-2016. Pot would be heavily taxed, with revenue going to local governments for public services, for cannabis research, and treatment for drug abuse and addiction.
"We're disappointed with the Ohio Farm Bureau's announcement, especially because their viewpoint puts them in the unenviable position of supporting failed marijuana prohibition and the illegal drug trade," ResponsibleOhio Executive Director Ian James said in a statement.
"Going forward, we're excited to have conversations with voters about how we can move marijuana from the black market to a safe, taxed and highly-regulated green industry," James said. "And Ohio voters will have the opportunity to repeal failed marijuana prohibition in November."
The 10 commercial growing licenses could be reduced or expanded to meet demand by the Marijuana Control Commission. Ohioans could grow limited amounts of their own marijuana at home -- up to four flowering plants and 8 ounces of dried marijuana.
The Farm Bureau also questioned whether Ohio should amend its constitution to directly conflict with federal law. Twenty-three states have legalized marijuana for medical use and four states have legalized the drug for personal use.
The Obama administration has said it would not enforce the federal prohibition in states that have legalized marijuana use as long as states regulate the industry.

"We're going to get a new president in just over a year," Fisher said. "What happens if he or she decides to get tougher? How much will it cost Ohio taxpayers to fight that battle?"
Fisher said Ohio should monitor and learn from the experiences of the four states that have recently legalized recreational use -- Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. He said even marijuana-legalization supporters should oppose ResponsibleOhio's plan.
"Manipulating the constitution in a way that's legally questionable to profit a small number of investors is just a really bad idea," he said.

 

Anty news if they have enough valid signatures to make the ballot...