Pubdate: Tue, 07 Feb 2012
Source: Miami Student, The (OH Edu)
Copyright: 2012 The Miami Student
Contact:  http://www.miamistudent.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4125
Author: Emily Conklin

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISSUE MAY BE ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

Organizers are currently circulating a petition around Ohio in hopes 
of placing an issue on the November ballot to legalize marijuana for 
medical use.

The 'Alternative Treatment Amendment' was submitted in July 2011 to 
the Ohio Attorney General's office to place a new amendment on the 
November 2012 ballot.

As dictated in the petition, this reform would call for the legal use 
of marijuana to alleviate symptoms of "severe nausea, chronic pain 
and muscle spasms" caused by diseases such as HIV-AIDS and 
Parkinson's. The language of the initiative also says those who 
suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may also qualify.

Author of the amendment Ryan Maitland said the petition board is 
withholding the number of signatures the amendment has collected to 
date. State law requires at least 385,245 signatures to get an issue 
on the ballot.

After revising and resubmitting the initiative, the petition for an 
amendment was certified by the Attorney General's office in October 
2011. However, according to Maitland, even more revisions have been 
made since the Attorney General's approval.

"It's a nonpartisan legal job," Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine 
said. "Rejecting and certifying petitions is a matter of language. We 
make sure that language [of the amendment] is accurate and correct."

"We are looking to put forth a very clear and unambiguous law," 
Maitland said. "The revisions will address any ambiguity [within] the 
legal and privacy clauses."

One of the major revisions will require law enforcement to obtain a 
warrant from a judge before investigating suspected illegal activity.

"This protects both patient and law enforcement," Maitland said. 
"Additionally, clinical research trials require specific federal approval."

The amendment is not without regulations for patients and caregivers. 
There would be a 3.5 oz. limit on how much marijuana can be given to 
the patient within a 21-day period. In addition, both patient and 
caregiver must be registered within an Internet database that can be 
accessed by law enforcement. They must also present a registered card 
at the Safe Access Center, according to Maitland.

"If it's regulated, it would make it a lot harder for people under 18 
to buy it," Miami University senior Josh Tejkl said. "People who have 
cancer or other ... diseases should be able to use marijuana for relief."

The prospect of legalizing marijuana for medical use raises concerns 
for voters.

"Some people who have a card [to obtain medical marijuana] don't need 
it," junior Danielle Browske said. "They just want to get high."

The American Medical Association published a document entitled 
'Report 3 of the Council on Science and Public Health (I-09), Use of 
Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes,' which specified that the short-term 
use of marijuana is effective in alleviating "aversive" physiological 
symptoms. The report included "results of short term controlled 
trials show smoking cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves 
appetite and calorie intake especially in patients with reduced 
muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with 
multiple sclerosis."

One of the added revisions would allow medical testing on humans to 
determine the value and consequences of using marijuana for medical purposes.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom