COLUMBUS, Ohio - As a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, a collector of antique marijuana apothecary jars, the founder of an industrial hemp business and "a pot smoker consistently for 47 years," Don Wirtshafter, an Ohio lawyer, has fought for decades to make marijuana legal, calling it "my life's work." But when Ohio voters go to the polls Tuesday to consider a constitutional amendment to allow marijuana for both medical and personal use, Mr. Wirtshafter will vote against it. [continues 1193 words]
COLUMBUS, Ohio - As a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, a collector of antique marijuana apothecary jars, the founder of an industrial hemp business and "a pot smoker consistently for 47 years," Don Wirtshafter, an Ohio lawyer, has fought for decades to make marijuana legal, calling it "my life's work." But when Ohio voters go to the polls Tuesday to consider a constitutional amendment to allow marijuana for both medical and personal use, Wirtshafter will vote against it. Issue 3, as the proposed amendment is known, is bankrolled by wealthy investors spending nearly $25 million to put it on the ballot and sell it to voters. If it passes, they would have exclusive rights to growing commercial marijuana in Ohio. [continues 1049 words]
LittleTree Strongbow has three children. She also has bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders. And while the Omaha woman said using heavy pharmaceuticals like Valium to treat those illnesses doesn't allow her to be an effective mother, she believes marijuana does. So Strongbow showed up in downtown Lincoln on Saturday decked out in a marijuana-themed bandanna and a belt made of artificial cannabis leaves. With a bullhorn in hand, she and about three dozen other proponents paraded around the Capitol and along O Street advocating for legalized marijuana in agriculture and medicine. [continues 343 words]