Wednesday, January 21, 2015
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
One of five marijuana-testing facilities would be in Mahoning County, under a proposed constitutional amendment expected to be submitted to state officials next month.
ResponsibleOhio, the latest group that hopes to legalize marijuana use in the state, announced additional details of its amendment effort Tuesday, including tax rates for drug purchases and a means of expanding production locations in the future.
“ResponsibleOhio will give voters a chance in November to legalize marijuana for medical and personal use for adults 21 and older,” Chris Stock, a campaign representative who helped write the amendment, said in a released statement. “Marijuana in Ohio will be safe, controlled, tested and clearly labeled for medical and personal use. Our plan will also create opportunities for Ohioans to own and operate retail stores and manufacturing facilities, which will create thousands of new jobs in an emerging market.”
ResponsibleOhio wants to create a seven-member Ohio Marijuana Control Commission to “regulate the manufacture, sale, distribution, licensing and taxing of marijuana and marijuana-infused products.”
The proposed amendment initially would limit marijuana production to 10 “tightly regulated growing locations,” with “one additional license per year” possible if the commission decides initial sites are not producing enough supply to meet consumer demand.
Additionally, the amendment calls for testing facilities in Mahoning, Athens, Lorain, Scioto and Wood counties to check marijuana “for safety and potency.” Those sites would be located near colleges and universities “to promote research and create jobs.”
The amendment also outlines the creation of medical-marijuana dispensaries and uses for treating debilitating medical conditions, as well as the process for licensing retail stores to sell marijuana products.
Marijuana use would be banned in public places, near schools, inside prisons or corrections facilities and in motor vehicles.
Marijuana purchased for personal use would be subject to a flat 15 percent tax, with the proceeds directed to local governments and a portion dedicated to the commission’s expenses, research and addiction and treatment programs.
ResponsibleOhio is the latest group to announce plans to pursue a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana. Other petition efforts have ended without collecting sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Backers of the new issue say they’ll submit required paperwork to the attorney general early next month. His OK and approval from the secretary of state’s office are required before circulating petitions to collect the 300,000-plus signatures necessary to place the amendment before voters.