COLUMBUS – A proposal to legalize marijuana in Ohio has drawn support from the state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union but opposition from a major law enforcement group.
The organizations are among the latest to announce their positions on the ballot initiative, known as Issue 3 in the Nov. 3 election. Early voting begins Oct. 6.
“Marijuana prohibition and its partner, ‘War on Drugs,’ have contributed to mass incarceration for non-violent crimes and left the inevitable illegal supply chain for marijuana in the hands of violent criminals,” said Christine Link, executive director of the ACLU of Ohio. “Millions and millions of dollars later, we are all the worse off because of the punishing prohibition on personal and medical use of marijuana.”
“The ACLU of Ohio works day in and day out fighting for social justice reform, so they know the so-called War on Drugs has failed and left too many Ohio families and communities torn apart,” said Ian James executive director of ResponsibleOhio, the group behind the ballot measure.
Ohio’s Fraternal Order of Police says that while legal marijuana must be kept away from minors, there’s no clear way for that to be enforced.
The proposed constitutional amendment would let adults 21 and older buy marijuana for medicinal or recreational use and grow four plants. It creates a network of 10 authorized growing facilities and establishes a regulatory scheme.