Via Cleveland.com
Joe Guillen
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The movement to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio has been reignited.
Peter B. Lewis — the billionaire chairman of Progressive Corp. and well-known medical marijuana advocate — is seeking proposals to run a campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio. The issue would go on the ballot in 2012.
“We want to see what kind of proposals that come in and we’ll proceed from there,” said Graham Boyd, the former director of the ACLU Drug Law Reform Project and an advisor to Lewis.
While Democratic lawmakers have tried and failed in recent years to pass medical a marijuana law in Ohio, Lewis’ latest inquiry represents a different tack.
By going directly to voters through a ballot initiative, Lewis and his supporters could circumvent a GOP-controlled legislature and a Republican governor who likely would oppose such a law.
“Obviously with his backing, and more importantly his dollars, that’s the only way getting passage of this bill is going to happen in the state of Ohio,” said Rep. Kenny Yuko, a Democrat from Richmond Heights who has introduced bills to legalize medical marijuana.
Lewis, whose company is based in Mayfield Village, is among the most wealthy, high-profile supporters of medical marijuana legalization. Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, estimates that Lewis has contributed between $40 million and $60 million to the cause since the 1980s.
“No person on the face of this Earth has donated more money to reform marijuana laws than Peter B. Lewis,” St. Pierre said.
Read the rest of the story here.
Tags: cannabis, hemp, magazine, marijuana, medical, News, ocw, Reviews
Nethan Cardin
It is great to get this in motion in Ohio, but if the Liberal people of California can’t even get this to pass, do you really think a more conservative state like Ohio can?
Angie Enooe
I’m glad people are finally seeing that there is a useful side to Medical Marijuana. My mother has glaucoma, and I know this would be helpful for her.
Paulo Foy
I heard something like this just got turned down in the state of Illinois. I hope Ohio voters are more sensible then that, and we can pass this thing.
Jastin Atterson
So when does this go to the ballot? And is there anything we can do to let our legislators no that this is something we need as a state? I think this would be a major step in the right direction for the state of Ohio.
FRENCHIE
I’M A CONSERVATIVE & DECIDEDLY PRO-MARIJUANA. THE G.O.P. ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT “PERSONAL FREEDOM” & BEING AGAINST “GOVERNMENT INTRUSIONS” INTO OUR LIVES & PERSONAL CHOICES. SAYING ONE THING & LEGISLATING ANOTHER IS NO WAY TO STAND UP FOR “PERSONAL FREEDOMS”, BUT IT’S A HELL OF A WAY TO BE HYPOCRITICAL & TWO-FACED TO YOUR SUPPORTERS. I’VE ALWAYS HAD A SERIOUS SPLIT WITH THE PARTY ON THIS ISSUE. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE V.A. REFUSES TO EFFECTIVELY TREAT MY CHRONIC PAIN ISSUES. MARIJUANA PROVIDES MORE RELIEF THAN ANYTHING THEY’RE DOING ABOUT MY PAIN, OR ARE WILLING TO DO ABOUT IT. THEY EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO TAKE MY MEDICATION FOR CHRONIC ANXIETY AWAY WHEN I CAME BACK “DIRTY” ON A WHIZ-QUIZ. WHAT DO THEY EXPECT ME TO DO ? SUFFER FOR THE GLORY OF COMPLYING WITH THEIR REGULATIONS ? FUCK ALL THAT…. WHERE WERE REGULATIONS WHEN I WAS INJURED BECAUSE OF SOMEONE ELSE’S STUPIDITY ? I’M A GROWN MAN WHO SERVED HIS COUNTRY TO ENSURE THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MY FREEDOM TO SEEK RELIEF, I HAVE NONE. IT’S EVERY BIT AS BAD AS THE LIBERALS TRYING TO CREATE A “NANNY STATE”. THIS IS BULLSHIT & IT NEEDS TO CHANGE ….NOW !!! I CAN MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS ABOUT MY HEALTH CARE NEEDS, FREE OF “GOVERNMENT INTRUSION” FROM EITHER SIDE. I’M THE ONE IN PAIN & HAVING TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY, IT SHOULD BE MY FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. PLAIN & SIMPLE. I HOPE THIS DOES COME UP ON THE BALLOT, THEN WE’LL SEE THE WILL OF “WE THE PEOPLE” DONE – WITHOUT ANY GODDAMN “GOVERNMENT INTRUSION” !!!!!!!!!!!
Brad Forrester
Oaksterdam University, the first trade school in the America offering quality training for the cannabis industry, will be returning to Ann Arbor during Labor Day Weekend with an informational seminar updated for 2011. We invite your members to attend this event and learn from those who pioneered the medical cannabis industry, and continue to fight for taxation and regulation.
This is also an excellent opportunity to see first-hand a medical cannabis state. Ann Arbor has several dispensaries and Michihgan recognizes all state’s medical marijuana cards. For those who do not have a card, there will be many resources available right in the hotel! We will have a dispensary operating from there (for card-holders only), as well as a testing lab, an extraction equipment distributor, security companies and other essential service providers for the cannabis industry.
There’s also a social event Saturday night for networking and meeting, and we are organizing a Breakout Session for Ohio attendees.
Attached is a PDF with full details of the event. Please notify your members and post this information on your website. For more info see: http://oaksterdamuniversity.com/michigan.html
Thank you,
Brad Forrester