Initiative collects signatures

March 30, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

Backers of one of two medical marijuana initiatives plan to begin collecting signatures, with hopes of gaining 385,000-plus valid signatures to place the issue before voters in November.

“Over 90 million Americans now can have safe access to medical marijuana,” said Theresa Daniello, a member of the committee backing the effort. “When Ohio passes this, we’re going to add 11.4 million people. So we’re going to make it over 100 million people who will have access to medical marijuana, which we believe is very important.”

The amendment would seek voters’ approval to allow residents with “debilitating medical conditions” to produce, possess and use medical marijuana “in amounts sufficient to meet their medical needs and alleviate their suffering.”

Medical conditions covered would include “glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, cancer and Crohn’s disease” and “severe or chronic pain or nausea.”

“Being able to provide natural, safe medicine to sick, dying and disabled people in a very professional manner just makes sense to the state of Ohio,” Daniello said.

The amendment also would create a new Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control to regulate medical marijuana in the state, establishing rules for medical marijuana production, possession and use.

There is one other group circulating petitions for a separate medical cannabis issue. The main difference between the two is that the amendment proposed by the latter would specify how much medical marijuana users could possess at any given time and other details instead of a commission that could change such limits over time.

According to supporters of the issue, 16 states already have medical marijuana laws on the books, and 20 other states have comparable legislation pending. Proponents say the goal is not to legalize casual marijuana use.

“We wanted to have a law that put the patients first and protected their rights and their rights to have access medical marijuana to alleviate their suffering,” said Mark Ramach, general counsel for the group. “A group of professionals will be overseeing stringent regulations to make sure that the only people who do get access to this are the people who actually need it. This is not a legalization issue. This is a medical marijuana issue.”

He added, “We believe that there is a war on drugs going on right now, and our patients are caught in the crossfire. And the first thing we need to do is get them off the battlefield.”