Ohio’s attorney general has given the go-ahead on the next step for putting another ballot issue to legalize medical marijuana on the fall ballot.
Athens attorney Don Wirtshafter says this proposal is different than the one backed by the national Marijuana Policy Project, which got approval to gather signatures for its ballot issue last week.
“The other petition is trying to enshrine a business model into the Ohio Constitution as was done with casinos," Wirtshafter said. "This year, it’s 15 monopolies that are going to own the business in Ohio’s future.”
Wirtshafter says his group’s plan would legalize medical marijuana and hemp production but would allow Ohioans, not doctors, to determine whether they have a condition that might be helped by using the cannabis.
The plan, if passed by voters, would allow the Ohio legislature to set up rules for distribution.
