The proposal rejected by voters could be followed in 2016 by a more conventional legalization plan, one that doesn’t give exclusive growing rights to private investors. That provision was targeted successfully by opponents.
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In response, state legislators put a measure to voters that seeks to ban monopolies from Ohio’s constitution.
Marijuana is legal for recreational use in four states (Colorado, Washington state, Alaska and Oregon) and Washington D.C. Ohio could have made history by legalizing both at the same time.
Recreational use of marijuana failed to win the support of voters in the US State of Ohio. “We strongly believe that – from a policy standpoint – marijuana legalization, regulated and available for personal use for persons 21 years or older, is the right move for Ohio”.
At an elementary school in the northern Cincinnati suburb of West Chester, Beth Zielenski, said she voted no on the marijuana question. Analysts say the initiative was criticized for giving its main backers cartel-like authority over the medical marijuana industry. They try to make it for the economy, but marijuana leads to other problems and addictions and we have enough problems with addictions within our country now that I don’t think it’s a good idea.
Ian James, a political consultant who headed the “ResponsibleOhio” legalization campaign admitted in the past that he was actively campaigning because he could profit from it. “The honest and most easy response is: I am going to profit from this”. It may take years longer for Cannabis to become legalized. About two-dozen investors funded the campaign, with $12 million spent and another $12 million raised last quarter, according to campaign reporting. They also said cities and towns could reap hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue from the sale of the drug.
Pot sold commercially would have to come from 10 authorized growing sites that are already spoken for.
For this reason, most major marijuana advocacy organizations did not endorse Issue 3.
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Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, praised voters for their decision on marijuana.
