Pubdate: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 Source: Dayton Daily News (OH) Copyright: 2015 Dayton Daily News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/7JXk4H3l Website: http://www.daytondailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/120 Author: Laura A. Bischoff POT BACKERS HEADING TO COURT ResponsibleOhio Objects to Ballot Board Summary on Issue 3. COLUMBUS - The latest round in a high-stakes fight over marijuana legalization landed in the Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday when ResponsibleOhio accused the Ballot Board of deliberately crafting a summary of State Issue 3 to "mislead, deceive or defraud the voters." In a 139-page filing, ResponsibleOhio attorneys Larry James and Andy Douglas said the issue summary language approved by the ballot board last week on a 3-2 vote is "fatally defective through false and material omissions, inaccuracies, and argumentative language." ResponsibleOhio wants the court to invalidate the issue summary language and either tell the board to do-over or use the amendment summary that was approved by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine for the campaign's petition drive. ResponsibleOhio is also contesting the State Issue 3 title, picked by Secretary of State Jon Husted, that says "Grants a monopoly for the commercial production and sale of marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes." Issue 3 is a constitutional amendment to legalize and regulate marijuana for recreational and medical purposes, allow limited home grow, and designate 10 parcels controlled by ResponsibleOhio investors as the only commercial marijuana growing sites. Husted said in a written statement on Thursday: "There is no better way to describe State Issue 3 than to say it is a monopoly that grants exclusive rights to a certain group of people - rights that would not be afforded to every other Ohioan." The word monopoly fits, he said. "The backers of State Issue 3 could have easily prevented Ohioans from calling their plan a marijuana monopoly by choosing to not write their plan as a marijuana monopoly." Husted opposes Issue 3. ResponsibleOhio's attorneys have three main issues with the summary language: it misleads voters to believe adults will be permitted to purchase and transport more than half a pound of marijuana; it falsely says marijuana businesses will be allowed to operate within 1,000 feet of churches, parks and schools; and it omits the fact that retail stores will need local voter approval to open. Douglas, a former supreme court justice now working for ResponsibleOhio, said the ballot board purposely lumped together the home grow and retail purchase amounts and rules to imply that adults would be allowed to purchase, transport and share more than half a pound of pot. Pro-pot mascot heads to college campuses Meanwhile, ResponsibleOhio trotted out 'Buddie' - a superhero mascot with a green head shaped like a marijuana bud - to visit college campuses and attract Ohioans 21 and older to vote for Issue 3. Buddie has six-pack abs, big muscles and a permanent smile plastered on his face. The character looks like a buff, happy Grinch. Buddie is traveling to campuses on ResponsibleOhio's weed bus - a rented RV that is visiting all 88 counties. The bus has already visited some campuses, including University of Toledo, and is slated to hit more next week, including Miami University. "This demonstrates a troubling lack of good judgment for a group that hopes to win exclusive control over the sale of marijuana in Ohio," said Jen Detwiler, spokeswoman for opposition campaign, Ohioans Against Marijuana Monopolies. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom