Ohio State Senator Joe Schiavoni said that the amendment which gets the most votes could trump the other. “Ohioans still need treatment and deserve compassionate care”.
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An October 8 Quinnipiac University poll found that 90 percent of Ohio voters back legalized medical marijuana and 9 percent do not.
The two lawmakers say they have been drafting legislation based on practices from other states and input from advocates that could serve as a starting point for discussions.
On Tuesday’s ballot was a second constitutional amendment making it illegal to use the state ballot measure process to establish a monopoly.
According to The Washington Post, Lachey is co-owner in one of ten marijuana farms in Ohio.
Timothy Shearer, 47, said he voted for the initiative. The ballot measure, which is also known as Issue No. 3, is backed by big-named personalities including Hollywood celebrities.
ResponsibleOhio, the group that backed Issue 3 and lead the fight in securing it a spot on Tuesday night’s ballot, included its own monopoly on the state’s future marijuana industry if the bill passed, the Atlantic reports. A sum of around $12m (£7.78) was reportedly spent on advertising by pro-campaigners ahead of the Tuesday polls. He said he didn’t believe opponents’ arguments that legalization would increase risks to drug addiction, saying he believes harder drugs cause more problems.
“In talking to people, it was surprising to me how many said they support medical marijuana”, Smith said.
Incumbent Sen. Rob Portman (R), who will face either Strickland or Sittenfeld in the 2016 general election, has said that legalizing marijuana in the state would be a step in the “wrong direction” that would send the “wrong message”.
If it passes, Ohio would become the fifth state to legalize recreational marijuana and would hand over exclusive rights in the state’s pot business to a limited circle of private investors that include a few famous names. “At a time when too many families are being torn apart by drug abuse, Ohioans said no to easy access to drugs and instead chose a path that helps strengthen our families and communities”, he said.
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Adam Orens, managing director for the Marijuana Policy Group, said prior to the vote that the lack of grower competition “taints” the legalization vote.
