Pubdate: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 Source: Athens News, The (OH) Copyright: 2014, Athens News Contact: http://www.athensnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1603 Author: Matt Lardner Cited: Ohio Rights Group http://www.ohiorights.org/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?197 (Marijuana - Medicinal - Ohio) SRO CROWD INHALES CONTROVERSY AT MARIJUANA PANEL DISCUSSION At Ohio University's Baker Center Theater Tuesday, a panel discussing the potential legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio aired opinions from both sides of the debate. The Health Promotion department of OU's Campus Involvement Center presented "The Amazing Blazing Marijuana Debate," a 90-minute conversation about the merits and problems of medical marijuana. Even after additional chairs were imported, attendees lined the wings of the theater, signifying either heavy student extra-credit involvement or an unanticipated level of interest in the topic. On the crowd's left was master's student Will Klatt, pro-medical marijuana, joined by John Pardee and Mary Jane Borden, who both appeared on behalf of the Ohio Rights Group, a non-profit organization that advocates for the right to make use of cannabis. The group has drafted a cannabis rights amendment it hopes to get on the state ballot this year, which would legalize therapeutic cannabis and industrial hemp. At least 44 counties need to get signatures from 5 percent of voters, the minimum threshold to add the proposed amendment as a ballot measure. Four of the state's 88 counties already have the minimum signatures needed, including Athens and Hocking counties. Dr. Joe Gay, executive director of Health Recovery Services, and Reggie Robinson, program manager for Health Recovery Services' Division of Community Services, sat on the crowd's right. The Division of Community Services' mission is to "prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs" through programs and advocacy, according to its website. OU student Shelby Delp also participated, siding against medicinal legislation. Terry Koons, OU's associate director of Health Promotion, moderated the debate. He polled the audience prior to the event, and found very few attendees showed up with an open mind - the majority of attendees were equipped with a stance on marijuana legalization. "We want to make sure it's done safely and responsibly, and we also think it needs to happen now," said Pardee, president of the Ohio Rights Group. Gay said that though some aspects of cannabis may have therapeutic value, smoking is a wasteful and inefficient method. He also believes that legalization of medicinal cannabis should not be a ballot measure. "We don't vote on medicine," Gay said. "We subject it to research." Because of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is still considered a schedule 1 drug, which restricts academic research of potential benefits. "If we were able to have the research on it, we could have a more informed debate," Delp said. Prescription drugs such as Marinol and Sativex contain cannabinoids, but advocates for the medicinal ballot measure don't have much faith in the FDA to regulate it. Along with balking at the prohibitive costs of those drugs and ineffectiveness for some patients, they point out other drugs the FDA has approved that are more dangerous and addictive, opiates such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. But Robinson, a recovering addict himself, said that problems with other drugs do not make cannabis OK to use. "Bad experiences with opiates do not conflate with marijuana being safe for voters to approve for medicinal use," Robinson said. "That's what we're here to talk about, and I don't want to lose sight of that." Pardee railed against the idea of marijuana as a gateway drug. "I'm really, frankly, sick and tired of that moniker being used because it is not indicative of the effects," Pardee said. Though no one has overdosed on marijuana, Gay and Health Recovery Services do not believe that makes it harmless. Gay cited a report that over 461,000 emergency room visits mentioned marijuana use. He also worries about impaired drivers, a spike in adolescent addiction, and increased violent crime if medical marijuana is legalized. "I think our experience here would mirror the experience of several other states, particularly Colorado and California, where there was an increase in violence," Gay said. In Ohio, Borden said there's an economic benefit to potential legalization. "Ohio is the quintessential farming state; it is the quintessential manufacturing state; and it is the quintessential distribution state," said Borden, the Ohio Rights Group treasurer. "We see a very large future in hemp in Ohio." Rich Kane, OU's community standards and student responsibility associate director, also sat on the panel, but was on hand primarily to answer questions students may have about university policy. OU treats marijuana possession or use as a Code B offense, the less serious of two offense tiers and the same tier as alcohol offenses. Typically, students found using or in possession of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia face a $100 fine, a mandatory Health Recovery Services program that costs $100, two hours of community restitution, an e-checkup program, and between six and nine months of probation. A second violation while on probation results in a suspension of at least one semester. Students found using other illegal drugs are charged with a Code A violation, with penalties more severe than marijuana penalties. Questions from the crowd were all in favor of legalization or questioning the argument against voting on it. Many made emotional appeals about how marijuana helped them cope with pain. Pardee asked the attendees about what side of the debate they were on, which revealed that most of the audience favored regulated but legal marijuana. Klatt encouraged passionate students to stay after the panel and discuss organizing in support of marijuana on campus. The Ohio Rights Group representatives asked people who are strongly in favor of legalization to join and mobilize. "This isn't gonna happen unless you guys step up," Pardee said. The other side of the debate held to the belief that voters are not qualified to decide the medicinal benefits of cannabis, because they are not experts. "The ballot box is not the way to do this," Robinson argued. The campus debate seemed somewhat anachronistic, however, considering that in many states today, the issue has shifted from legalizing medicinal marijuana to full legalization of marijuana use by adults, whether medicinal or recreational. In fact, a recent Quinnipiac University poll found that Ohioans overwhelmingly support the use of medical marijuana (87-12 percent). A much smaller majority of Buckeye voters (51-44 percent) said they support adult possession of small amount of pot for personal use. Twice as many registered voters questioned in the poll said they think alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana, and about half said the two are equally harmful. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt