Pubdate: Sun, 21 Feb 2016 Source: Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) Copyright: 2016 Morning Journal Contact: http://www.morningjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3569 Author: Andrew Cass AFTER ISSUE 3 FAILURE, EFFORTS SHIFT TOWARD MEDICAL In January, ResponsibleOhio co-founder Jimmy Gould said in a news conference that the group would not return this year with another proposed constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana. ResponsibleOhio was the private group backing Issue 3, which would have legalized the limited sale and use of recreational and medicinal marijuana in Ohio. Despite Issue 3's failure at the polls last November, the debate over marijuana legalization in Ohio is far from over. Ohio would have become the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational and medical purposes simultaneously had Issue 3 passed last November. The states that have passed recreational marijuana laws in recent years, such as Washington and Colorado, already had medical marijuana laws in place. For now it appears that medical marijuana is again taking the forefront in Ohio. On Feb. 18, Legalize Ohio 2016 announced it was suspending its efforts to collect petition signatures for the Cannabis Control Amendment and will work with the Washington D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project's medical marijuana campaign in Ohio. It's not just enough for us to get out of the way of the MPP - we must put aside our differences and do our best to live up to the expectations of sick and dying citizens of Ohio," the group said in a statement on its website. "There is no more time to waste." MPP is working on collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to appear in the Nov. 8 election, with legislation similar to the laws that currently exist in the 23 states (and Washington, D.C.) that currently have some form of legalized medical marijuana. The group anticipates it will hold a statewide signature drive from April through June, with the goal of collecting at least 305,591 valid signatures (550,000 gross signatures) during the first week of July. "Legalize Ohio 2016 will be reformed into a nonprofit campaign that will circulate petitions for the MPP's medical marijuana amendment, while simultaneously providing probono support for an entire suite of campaign services for local decriminalization efforts," the group said on its website. The pair of organizations aren't the only ones looking at potential medical marijuana legislation in Ohio. Members of both the state senate and state house are exploring the issue as well. The Medical Marijuana Listening Tour In late January and early February, state Sens. Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, and David Burke, R-Marysville, embarked on a three stop "medical marijuana listening tour." The tour started in Cleveland before heading to Cincinnati and Toledo. The two senators came into the tour with different points of view. Yuko considers himself "a true believer" while Burke is a skeptic. Yuko said that his mindset was once not much different than Burke's. He grew up in what he calls the "Cheech and Chong generation" and the portrayal of the drug left him with a negative view. His opinion began to change when he was campaigning for the Ohio House of Representatives in the early 2000s and he met with medical marijuana advocates. He still does not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes, but he has been a proponent of medical marijuana since 2003. There were roughly 550 people who showed up to the duo's first listening tour stop at the Gerald H. Gordon Conference Pavilion of the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University. Testimony lasted for several hours with about 50 people speaking at the event. At the three stops combined, Yuko estimates that 95 percent of the people who spoke were in favor of some form of medical marijuana legislation. The pair heard from families with children suffering from seizures who are paying $6,000 to $8,000 a month for medication. They heard from military veterans, cancer patients, senior citizens and nurses, among others. They're also still collecting written testimony, which can be sent to Yuko at and Burke at Yuko said he's still meeting daily with various groups and is reviewing the information gathered during the tour as well as looking into other states that have already passed medical marijuana legislation. One of the advantages of Ohio being one of the, as Yuko put it, "slowest states" with this kind of legislation is they have a larger sample size to see what has worked and what hasn't. Yuko said the clock is ticking and he wants legislation as soon as possible. He said he is hoping to have something done by the end of March. "I want it done yesterday, but that's not going to happen," he said. He knows he's a "small player in the mix" and he's not going to get everything he wants in the bill. There will have to be compromises. "I've been a negotiator all my life and I'm going to negotiate my butt off so we have a bill to move Ohio forward," Yuko said. Medical Marijuana Task Force The Ohio House of Representatives also has put together a group to investigate medical marijuana. The task force, created by Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, was announced in January and includes a mixture of state representatives, a former Ohio attorney general and law enforcement officials, among others. "This issue is something that has been discussed for some time, on both sides of the aisle, and last November, the people of Ohio resoundingly defeated a ballot proposal that would allow the recreational use of marijuana," Rosenberger said in January at a news conference announcing the task force. "However, the initiative sparked debate about whether or not medical marijuana should be prohibited for those who are suffering from a specific illness. The goal of this task force is to have a methodical and holistic approach to the conversation, which means including members on both sides of the aisle, as well as medical experts, community advocacy groups and law enforcement officials. Having this discussion is important for our state and I think this task force gives us an ideal setting to do that." State Rep. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, is leading the task force. The other group members are: State Rep. Dr. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City State Rep. Dan Ramos, D-Lorain Dr. Brian Santin, Ohio State Medical Association Nick Lashutka, president of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association Former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery Jimmy Gould, cofounder of ResponsibleOhio Chris Stock, Issue 3 author Bill Sopko, chairman of the Ohio Manufacturers' Association Lora Miller, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants Linda Hondros, Ohio Chamber of Commerce Matt Szollosi, Affiliated Construction Trades Larry Moliterno, Ohio Alliance of Recovery Providers Gary Wolske, Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio Matt Lutz, Muskingum County sheriff and third vice president of the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association The committee held a 20-minute introductory meeting Jan. 28 and has met twice so far in February. The group is expected to meet every Thursday through the end of March . "I'm glad to see we're examining this after the last vote," Ramos said, referring to Issue 3. Ramos said the task force will "fully explore medical marijuana from all sides of the issue." At the first full meeting held Feb. 11, Ramos said they heard from people who make equipment for cannabis oil extraction, law enforcement as well as testimony from families. He said a majority of the testimony they heard was in favor of some sort of medical marijuana legislation. Those who did speak against it had concerns about DUIs. While that is something Ramos said the task force will need to look further into, he adds that it is also an existing concern for prescription drugs and alcohol. Like Yuko and Burke, the task force too will look at what other states with existing medical marijuana laws have done. The task force is also expected to talk to experts from out of state. What exactly will result from task force is still unknown. Ramos has worked with Schuring in the past and said that the chairman doesn't like to come up with anything until everyone who wants to be heard has the chance to be heard. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom