The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber opposes the marijuana amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber Board of Directors is opposing State Issue 3, the ResponsibleOhio marijuana amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The proposed constitutional amendment would legalize recreational and medical uses of marijuana for those 21 and older. Home growing for personal use would be permitted while production of marijuana for sale would be restricted to 10 sites. The marijuana would then be sold in retail outlets.

After hearing from speakers on the issue, the chamber’s Government Affairs Council, composed of local business leaders, voted to recommend opposing the amendment. The chamber’s board then voted to accept that recommendation.

The chamber’s statement on the vote states that should the amendment pass, there could be a negative impact on workplaces in the Mahoning Valley and throughout Ohio. Those issues of concern, the statement reads, include difficulty in recruiting drug-free employees; implications for workplace safety; impact on workforce productivity, quality and costs and the resulting effect on employer liability.