Pubdate: Tue, 25 Aug 2015
Source: Blade, The (Toledo, OH)
Copyright: 2015 The Blade
Contact:  http://www.toledoblade.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/48
Author: Tom Troy

UT MARIJUANA FORUM OFFERS PROS - NO CONS - OF LEGAL USE

The proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational and 
medical marijuana use was the subject of a forum Monday at the 
University of Toledo that had advocates but no opponents.

About 60 people attended the invitation-only event that was planned 
as an informational session for mental health and substance-abuse 
professionals and elected officials.

Scott Sylak, director of the Board of Mental Health and Recovery 
Services, said after his first anti-Issue 3 speaker backed out, he 
tried Friday to get someone from the newly organized anti-Issue 3 
group to attend, but they had no one knowledgeable about the proposed 
amendment.

Mr. Sylak said he would schedule a follow-up forum to hear from the opponents.

The panel consisted of Ian James, executive director of 
ResponsibleOhio, which is trying to pass the Ohio constitutional 
amendment; Douglas Berman, a law professor specializing in marijuana 
reform issues at the Ohio State University, and F. Scott Hall, PhD, a 
University of Toledo pharmacy faculty member.

Mr. Berman was paid by the ResponsibleOhio campaign to draft the 
proposed "Fresh Start" legislation backed by ResponsibleOhio that 
would allow people who have been convicted of marijuana-related 
crimes to seek expungement if marijuana is legalized.

Mr. Hall was invited by the board as an independent scholar.

Mr. Sylak said he recruited Mr. Berman to speak but didn't know about 
the possible conflict. He asked Tony Coder, assistant director of the 
Drug-Free Action Alliance, to speak, but Mr. Coder declined, saying 
the panel was not balanced.

He said Mr. Berman should have acknowledged his connection with 
ResponsibleOhio at the outset and should have been more explicit 
during his presentation at the forum, which was held at the 
University of Toledo Scott Park campus.

"I wish he had been a little more forthcoming in his relationship to 
ResponsibleOhio when I spoke to him," Mr. Sylak said.

He said he inquired Friday through his state organization to the 
newly minted Ohioans Against Marijuana Monopolies for a speaker but 
they had no one qualified to talk about the pros and cons of Issue 3.

Jen Detwiler, a spokesman for the organization, said, "We were 
contacted Friday afternoon by the Ohio Association of County 
Behavioral Health Authorities about finding a replacement, but were 
then told they no longer needed someone."

Mr. Berman said after the meeting that he attended the forum at his 
own expense.

During the forum, Mr. James argued that marijuana legalization will 
free up $120 million spent annually in Ohio on marijuana enforcement 
and that people who have financial need will receive assistance in 
getting medical marijuana if they have their doctor's recommendation.

"Under Issue 3, there's money from the commercial sale of marijuana 
for treatment services," Mr. James said, alluding to taxes that would 
be charged for sales of legal marijuana. "Drug dealers don't pay taxes."

Mr. Berman said the vote on Issue 3, set for Nov. 3 statewide, won't 
be the final word on marijuana legalization.

"At least we're finally starting to have a serious conversation," Mr. 
Berman said.

During the question-and-answer period, Mr. Hall was asked about the 
effect expanded marijuana use will have on impaired driving. He said 
the role of marijuana in causing accidents is "minor compared to alcohol."

"So often people who are in accidents and test positive for marijuana 
have been drinking and using other drugs. It's very difficult to know 
how much is caused by marijuana use alone," he said.

Mr. Berman said after the event that he does not believe that 
ResponsibleOhio's system of 10 licensed commercial growers will last 
long even if the measure passes because of growing national pressure 
to legalize pot and because of how easy pot is to grow.

Also Monday, ResponsibleOhio released a copy of its second television 
commercial, a 30-second ad featuring retired Cincinnati police Capt. 
Howard Rahtz calling the war on drugs a failure and asking for a 
"yes" vote on the issue.

The ad began running Monday on cable and broadcast television 
statewide, a ResponsibleOhio spokesman said.

The anti-Issue 3 organization Ohioans Against Marijuana Monopolies 
called the ad an "expensive attempt to buy their way into Ohio's Constitution."

Also Monday, three statewide education associations representing 
school boards, administrators, and business officials declared their 
opposition to Issue 3.

The groups said the amendment allows too many marijuana retail 
outlets, more than 1,100, and allows personal possession of enough 
pot the make more than 500 marijuana joints.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom