cannabisnews.com: Second Group Seeks a Vote on Medical Marijuana
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Second Group Seeks a Vote on Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on July 14, 2011 at 05:57:22 PT
By Alan Johnson, The Columbus Dispatch
Source: Columbus Dispatch 
Ohio -- Two different groups are moving ahead with plans to put medical-marijuana issues to a statewide vote in Ohio next year.While Cleveland billionaire Peter Lewis already had sent up smoke signals about organizing and funding a medical-marijuana ballot issue, another group quietly has been laying the groundwork for a constitutional amendment.
If approved by voters, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Act of 2012 would establish a regulatory system modeled after the Ohio State Liquor Control system. There would be an Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control, plus a state division and superintendent to run it. Marijuana purchases would require a doctor's prescription and would be subject to state and local sales taxes.Qualified purchasers could buy 60 grams of marijuana at a time and possess and transport up to 200 grams (about 7 ounces). They also could grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal use, under the proposal. Permits would be required to cultivate and sell marijuana.Under current Ohio law, possession of 200 grams could trigger a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail.Backers estimated it would cost roughly $360 an ounce (28 grams), based on the price in other states, including Michigan and Colorado.Teresa Daniello, 43, of Cleveland, said backers of the ballot proposal are a "core group of patients" who want Ohioans to be able to use medical marijuana for specific illnesses and to ease the suffering of those with terminal diseases."I am a patient. I do not want to be criminalized, nor do I want to be on 12 Percocets (a prescription painkiller) a day for the rest of my life."Daniello said she has a chronic problem with muscle spasms in her thoracic region; she's resorted to frequent shots and painful spinal blocks to deal with the pain.She said backers are "very confident" they can obtain the required signatures, in part because of a recent survey that showed 72 percent of those polled favored legal use of medical marijuana.She said many people face a difficult choice."They can choose to suffer with the horrible, debilitating effects of their illness, or risk arrest and years in prison for using medical marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering."To get a constitutional amendment on the ballot, supporters first must gather 1,000 valid signatures of registered voters to submit language to the attorney general for approval. They then can begin collecting 385,245 signatures - the minimum number to qualify for the ballot.A formal proposal has not surfaced from Lewis, who is chairman of Progressive Insurance, the nation's third-largest auto insurer. He has given millions over the years to marijuana-related causes.Earlier this year, Lewis put out a request for proposals though his California attorney, Graham Boyd, for an Ohio medical-marijuana issue to "create a model for future campaigns in other states." Proposals were to be submitted by May 15. Boyd could not be reached for comment yesterday.Beginning with California in 1996, 15 states (including Michigan) have legalized marijuana for medically qualified patients, mostly through ballot issues.A statewide medical-marijuana vote is a bad idea, said Marcie Seidel of the Drug-Free Action Alliance."Our conclusion is that the use of marijuana as medicine should not be a legislative or voter decision. We don't vote on antibiotics. We don't vote on antihistamines."If we're going to look at the medical value, let's treat it and study it like medicine," Seidel said.Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)Author: Alan Johnson, The Columbus Dispatch Published: July 14, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Columbus DispatchContact: letters dispatch.comWebsite: http://www.dispatch.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/JecPIeplCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #12 posted by George Servantes on July 16, 2011 at 15:41:40 PT:
then start treating it like medicine
quote
""Our conclusion is that the use of marijuana as medicine should not be a legislative or voter decision. We don't vote on antibiotics. We don't vote on antihistamines."
end of quotethen we should treat it like medicine so people don't have to vote to fix your corrupted stance that cannabis has no medicinal value while you legally sell synthetic cannabis thc in form of pill called marinol.
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Comment #11 posted by George Servantes on July 16, 2011 at 15:15:25 PT:
Deception
quote
"Backers estimated it would cost roughly $360 an ounce (28 grams), based on the price in other states, including Michigan and Colorado."
end of quoteSo they want to legally sell it at enormous black market price, while calling it compassion. This people are so greedy like big pharma that's getting rich on sick people. They only care about profit, it's rotten capitalism at it's best.
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Comment #10 posted by dongenero on July 15, 2011 at 10:21:30 PT
High Times market quotes June 2011
http://hightimes.com/lounge/ht_admin/7182I think this just relies on individuals self reporting. No indication if medical sources are accounted for in states with those laws. I guess this is likely all black market pricing.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 15, 2011 at 05:38:58 PT
About The Price
My opinion is as long as there are people who think they can make a lot of money getting into some kind of cannabis related venture we aren't being true to really wanting reform of the law to happen. When the prices become cheap like they should be then I'll be happy.
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Comment #8 posted by greenmed on July 14, 2011 at 21:05:50 PT
I like this
They (patients and caregivers) also could grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal use, under the proposal.
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Comment #7 posted by John Tyler on July 14, 2011 at 20:31:07 PT
price still too high
If it is going to be legal by prescription or recommendation or whatever term they want to use then it should be way, way cheaper. When something is illegal there is risk factor involved that has to be overcome by cost, but when the risk factor is gone so should be the extra cost. Thirty dollars a pound would be way high and still give everyone a hefty profit. What is proposed is better than nothing, but you can see how they are trying overcome the prohibitionists reluctance by appealing to their greed. Greed will win out I hope and then the price can be worked on.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 14, 2011 at 17:53:36 PT
Captain
Those prices are so unbelievable to me. I believe you though. 
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Comment #5 posted by CaptainAjnag on July 14, 2011 at 17:25:47 PT:
FoM
Most quality bud goes from bout $200-$300 an ounce. $300 is pretty common. On the black market, however, its not rare for bud to reach $400-$500 an ounce. Just depends on what part of the country you live in.If you're finding ounces of quality bud for $150....then well done. lol :)
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 14, 2011 at 13:58:19 PT
My Thoughts
You can't get a prsecription for an illegal substance so that won't work. I have no idea why they say $360 for an ounce. I have never heard of top quality marijuana being more then about $150. 
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on July 14, 2011 at 11:57:36 PT
Ohio
I support any reform work but I did not like the language from this group. It's a mile long with many meddling, overly controlling rules. It creates an entirely new bureaucracy to hound and profit from MJ users.They should have followed Maine's lead - the state legislature there just removed the requirement for patients to regi$ter with the state. Some states are already charging $200 per year, every year, to be a legal patient.  In Maine the cost is now zero, with complete privacy from the state govt, just as it is for all other prescription and OTC medications.Maybe Peter Lewis will come up with something better?
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Comment #2 posted by afterburner on July 14, 2011 at 09:19:25 PT
Out of Touch
"A statewide medical-marijuana vote is a bad idea, said Marcie Seidel of the Drug-Free Action Alliance.'Our conclusion is that the use of marijuana as medicine should not be a legislative or voter decision. We don't vote on antibiotics. We don't vote on antihistamines.'If we're going to look at the medical value, let's treat it and study it like medicine,' Seidel said."We also don't prohibit antibiotics. We also don't prohibit antihistamines. We also do not raid peoples homes at gunpoint to search for antibiotics or antihistamines.The DEA, FDA & NIDA have a tidy little racket that prevents most positive medical cannabis research from receiving the funding, permission and support that Marcie Seidel suggests.As a spokesperson for Drug-Free Action Alliance, she should be aware of this fact. Or is she just blowing smoke to confuse and distract the gullible voters?"Drug-Free": are you really willing to allow the research you suggest, Marcie Seidel?
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 14, 2011 at 06:01:09 PT
This Would Be Very Nice
I don't like getting disappointed but nothing has happened in Ohio that has been productive so far. Maybe these groups can get it done. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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