Time is short for those working to get legislation to legalize medicinal marijuana on the ballot in Ohio in 2014. The Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment would allow for the medical, therapeutic and industrial uses of cannabis.
President of Ohio Rights Group John Pardee says many Ohioans need this medicine as soon as possible to help alleviate symptoms of chronic conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and PTSD.
“So this is important for our veteran, “ Pardee said. “It’s also important for kids with epilepsy and Dravet Syndrome whose next seizure could be their last. You know, literally, it’s a life-or-death situation.”
The amendment also would create an Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control to regulate the use of medicinal marijuana. Supporters need 385,000 ballot signatures to July 2 to get the measure on the ballot. Pardee says so far they have about 50,000 and they still need validation. State leaders have opposed legalizing medical marijuana through the Legislature, with some concerned it would be abused.
Pardee says they are just now ramping up their signature gathering operation, and hoping to build needed momentum in the coming months.
“We only have a couple of months to get it, so this is a sprint to the finish for us right now,” Pardee said. “And so when the weather gets better we’re going to have hundreds of folks out in the streets collecting signatures this spring and summer.”
Twenty states and Washington D.C. have enacted laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes and Florida approved a medical cannabis bill for this November. Pardee says as political battleground states, Florida and Ohio could be the catalysts for change. He adds that they continue to look for national support on the issue.
“We need help from coast to coast,” Pardee said. “We tell people, ‘As goes Ohio, so goes the nation.’ And if folks all over America support Ohio, we can do our part to end federal prohibition.”
Last month, a Quinnipiac University poll found 87 percent of polled Ohio voters support the use of medical marijuana.
Source:wbco.com
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