Dear George,
My home town of Menominee, Michigan, is located smack on the border between Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula. When I was a kid, Wisconsin, the dairy state, legally banned the sale of margarine (regarded as an evil competitor to butter). An enterprising businessman in Menominee opened a margarine shop at the foot of the Interstate Bridge, and the business boomed, thanks to a deluge of Wisconsinites.
Now history is repeating itself. Recreational marijuana is legal in Michigan but is illegal in Wisconsin. Recently the Menominee City Council approved the establishment of marijuana stores in the town, and, within a matter of weeks, five brand new marijuana stores opened for business: The Fire Station, RIZE, Lume, Higher Love, and Nirvana. Because their buildings are still under construction, the five dispensaries currently operate only with curbside or drive-through services. According to the local newspaper, Lume has 40 parking spaces and room for 25 more cars to wait in line. The Lume manager reports, “We stay pretty busy all day…People are really excited…”
In about two weeks Ohioans will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize and regulate the adult use of marijuana in Ohio. The amendment allows adults 21 and over to purchase and use up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis flower and 15 grams of cannabis concentrate. It would also allow adults to grow up to six marijuana plants at home. Dispensary sales would be taxed 10% in addition to the usual sales taxes. The Division of Cannabis Control would be established in Ohio to regulate commerce, and cannabis testing laboratories would be regulated.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, a group of Ohio medical marijuana businesses, is leading the campaign in favor of the ballet initiative and submitted 127,772 valid signatures in August, 2023, in order to get Issue 2 on the ballot. Parties in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in Ohio include a variety of pro-marijuana organizations, e.g., Ohio Consumers for Safe Cannabis, Ohio Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, the Firelands Company, Cresco Labs Ohio.
Issue 2 has generated a lot of debate. The main arguments favoring legalization are the following: *Decriminalization of marijuana would end unfair and costly arrests and prosecutions for minor offenses. Ohio had over 60,000 marijuana arrests in 2022. These arrests can cause lasting damage to people’s lives, making it difficult to get jobs or housing, and they disproportionately affect persons of color. Legalizing marijuana would free up police officers to address more serious crime.
*Marijuana is purported to have lower risks than alcohol, and, unlike alcohol, it has some health and medical benefits. There are no cases of anyone ever dying from an overdose of marijuana.
* Ohioans would be able to buy products that are regulated and safe from being laced with deadly or addictive substances such as fentanyl.
* Legalizing marijuana would create a new source of tax revenue for Ohio. Colorado has generated over $2 billion in tax dollars since marijuana was legalized in 2012. Estimates for Ohio point to tax revenues of $300 to $400 million per year.
* Legalization would reduce the size of the black market for marijuana, making it more difficult for criminals to profit from marijuana sales.
Issue 2 is opposed by Protect Ohio Workers & Families, a broad coalition which includes: the Ohio Business Roundtable, Ohio Manufacturers Association, Ohio State Sheriffs’ Association, Association of Chiefs of Police, Fraternal Order of Police, Academy of Health Commissioners, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. In addition, top government officials in Ohio have urged a No vote: Governor, Attorney General, President of the Ohio Senate, Speaker of the Ohio House.
Arguments against passing Issue 2 include the following:
*Marijuana is addictive and could lead to more serious drug use. Marjiuana today is much more potent than it was in the past.
*Marijuana has negative effects on thinking and coordination, with potentially dangerous consequences for operating motor vehicles and job safety. While research results are mixed, a Colorado study found that the rate of marijuana-positive drivers involved in fatal crashes increased 48% after legalization.
*Legalization will not eliminate the black market for marijuana.
* Criminals will still be able to sell marijuana illegally, often at lower prices than the legal market.
*Home-grown marijuana will expose more youth to a psychoactive drug.
* “Legalizing recreational marijuana is today’s version of Big Tobacco — big corporations getting rich at the expense of our kids and society.” (Protect Ohio Workers & Families).
*Legalization will require another state bureaucracy with increased governmental costs.
To date, 23 states and the District of Columbia (about 49% of Americans) have legalized recreational marijuana use. It appears likely that Issue 2 will pass in Ohio by a large margin. Numerous surveys have found a majority of Ohioans favoring passage. A recent Suffolk University/USA Today poll showed that 59% of Ohio voters support adults buying and possessing marijuana, while only 36% were opposed. 77% of Democrats, 63% of independents and 40% of Republicans support the issue. Positions vary markedly by age. A recent Baldwin Wallace University survey found that 70% of voters between the ages of 18 and 34 supported legalizing marijuana. However, only 34% of voters 65 or older did so.
At this point I count myself in the “Undecided” voter category. I find the arguments persuasive on both sides of a complex issue. I don’t believe in alcohol abstinence, though it’s regarded as a more destructive drug, so it seems sort of hypocritical to vote to ban marijuana. On the other hand, I’m impressed that most or all law-enforcement and medical groups argue against legalization. I plan to ponder this some more and make up my mind by November 7th.
Love,
Dave
SOURCES: ballotpedia.org. Ohio Issue 2, Marijuana Legalization Initiative 2023); ideastream.org, “What is Ohio Issue 2 on marijuana legalization?” Oct. 19, 2023; League of Women Voters of Cincinnati Area. Hamilton County Voter Guide. Issue 2; pewresearch.org. “7 facts about Americans and marijuana.” Apr. 13, 2023;
uppermichiganssource.com. “City of Menominee now has 5 cannabis dispensaries open for business.” Oct. 9, 2023; wikipedia.org. “2023 Ohio Issue 2.”
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