Pubdate: Sat, 19 Sep 2015
Source: Lima News (OH)
Copyright: 2015 Freedom Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.limaohio.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/990
Author: Rob McColley
Note: Rob McColley is the state representative for Ohio's 81st 
District, which includes Henry, Putnam, Williams and part of Fulton counties.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION WOULD BE DISASTROUS FOR OHIO

There are a variety of important issues on the ballot this November. 
Issue 1 seeks to change the way Ohio draws its state legislative 
districts in an effort to allow more input from the minority party. 
Issue 2 seeks to ban efforts of business investors to create 
monopolies in Ohio's Constitution. Yet, in stark contrast to Issue 2, 
Issue 3 seeks to create a legalized drug cartel.

Issue 3 would allow a small group of investors an exclusive monopoly 
to grow marijuana in Ohio, while making recreational marijuana more 
available to children and adults than their favorite fast food. No 
matter how you feel about the legalization of marijuana, the passage 
of Issue 3 would only benefit a wealthy few while saddling the state 
and its citizens with immeasurable costs.

Issue 3 must be defeated.

You may have received mail recently from the ironically named 
Responsible Ohio that touts the benefits of legalizing marijuana.

The truth is these mailings are deceitful.

One fact they conveniently fail to mention is that Issue 3 seeks to 
specifically list 10 pieces of real estate in Ohio's constitution as 
the only property on which marijuana can be grown for commercial purposes.

Of course, these pieces of real estate are already owned by the 
handful of wealthy investors in the Issue 3 campaign.

These investors hope to turn their investment into a billion dollar a 
year industry. They will be able to do so by setting their own prices 
and tax rates, unlike the tobacco and liquor industry, which have 
their prices and tax rates set by the state.

In short, Issue 3 seeks to create a constitutionally guaranteed 
monopoly for a small group of wealthy investors and their families to 
live off of forever at a significant cost to the rest of Ohio.

The biggest losers of Issue 3 are our children.

I am sure most of us can remember our favorite treat as a child, 
whether it was a brownie, a cookie, gummy bears or another candy or 
baked good. For those of us who are parents or grandparents, we have 
also seen our children develop those same preferences, and we have 
seen their excitement when offered the opportunity to indulge them. 
Issue 3 would allow for the sale of brownies, cookies, gummy bears 
and many other common food items that would be packed with 
dangerously high levels of THC, only a little of which is necessary 
to permanently damage a child's brain.

It is perfectly conceivable that your child or grandchild will 
mistake a dangerous drug-infused brownie with their favorite 
chocolate brownie while at a friend's house.

Unfortunately, if your child does what any one of us would have done 
at that age and devours it without thinking about the consequences, 
the results could be tragic.

But the effect on children is not just limited to food. Since 
marijuana's legalization in Colorado in 2012, the state has seen a 56 
percent increase in overall marijuana usage among children aged 
12-17. The same result is likely to happen in Ohio. This issue alone 
should be enough for everyone to vote no on Issue 3, but the 
overwhelming availability of marijuana in every community makes Issue 
3 even more dangerous.

If you have spent any time driving through Ohio, you have passed many 
McDonalds restaurants and Starbucks coffee locations.

Seemingly, you will find a McDonalds or Starbucks in nearly every 
community across our state.

Issue 3 will create more marijuana retail stores than McDonalds and 
Starbucks locations in the state of Ohio combined!

In fact, we will have three times more marijuana retailers than 
liquor stores in Ohio if Issue 3 passes.

That will result in a huge influx of marijuana, which will 
undoubtedly result in significant safety risks. Proof of this is in 
Colorado where there has been a 32 percent increase in 
marijuana-related traffic deaths since legalization. The mass 
availability is too alarming to overlook.

Responsible Ohio's Issue 3 campaign is many things, but responsible 
is definitely not one of them. Issue 3 will create a monopoly for a 
group of wealthy investors, while saturating our neighborhoods and 
schools with dangerous amounts of marijuana that cannot be well 
regulated. We would be wise to learn from other states like Colorado 
and not place in our Constitution this costly get-rich-quick scheme 
by Issue 3's investors.

I urge you to vote no on Issue 3.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom