Cannabis Law and Policy

Given the incessant coverage of the 2012 Presidential primary contest (can you believe Mitt Romney’s tax rate?!), it’s no wonder that many Ohioans aren’t aware that medical cannabis could be on the November 2012 ballot in Ohio. That’s right. In November, Buckeyes across the state may get the chance to legalize medical marijuana.

There are two ballot initiatives out there currently: (1) the Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment, and (2) The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment. Both ballot initiatives have obtained the required approval from state authorities to begin gathering signatures. The amendments need 385,245 valid signatures of registered voters to qualify for the ballot.

If either of these ballot initiatives pass, Ohio would become one of 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, to have some sort of legalized medical cannabis laws.

The Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment

The Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment, proposed by the Ohio Patients Network would allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis to adult patients with a qualifying medical condition. Under this amendment, patients could possess up to 3.5 ounces of cannabis and cultivate up to 12 plants. Regulation of medical cannabis would fall largely under the auspice of the Ohio Department of Health, although local zoning authorities would play a role in determining where “safe access centers” (dispensaries) could locate.

The Amendment also prohibits the centers from being located within 1000 feet of certain buildings, such as churches or schools. It would not be legal to operate a vehicle under the influence of cannabis, nor would employers be required to allow employees to use cannabis on at the workplace or allow employees to work while under the influence of cannabis. However, the employer would have to demonstrate that the employee was “impaired” if he or she claimed the employee was under the influence.

Notably, no health insurer, including the state of Ohio, would be required to reimburse a medical cannabis patient for the costs associated with using or obtaining medical cannabis.

The OATA is supported by the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Click here for the full text of the amendment. Click here for a summary of the amendment. 

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment takes a different approach than the OATA, mentioned above. Rather than prescribe a regulatory scheme like the OATA, the OMCA takes a “rights” approach to medical cannabis, including among an Ohioan’s rights the right to “be eligible to use cannabis as medicine as a result of a diagnosed debilitating medical condition.” The OMCA would establish the Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control to regulate, fairly exclusively, medical cannabis in Ohio.

Because the OMCA would turn over the “nitty gritty” affairs of medical cannabis regulation to the new Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control, the amendment language does not provide much detail regarding exactly how medical cannabis would be regulated in Ohio. However, the OMCA does state that it does not authorize the operation of a motor vehicle when under the influence of cannabis, nor does it authorize the use of cannabis when doing so would constitute negligence or professional malpractice (limitations also present in the OATA).

Click here for the full text of the amendment. Click here for a summary of the amendment.

Summary

It will be interesting to see what happens with these amendments, whether either obtains the necessary amount of signatures to appear on the ballot, or whether either passes in November. In 2009, a University of Cincinnati poll found that 73% of Ohioans would support legalizing medical cannabis in Ohio.