Not long ago, majority Statehouse Republicans barely uttered a peep about marijuana legalization. Now both chambers have appointed special panels to explore the pros and cons of medical marijuana. Sens. Dave Burke, R-Marysville, and Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, announced Tuesday they are going on a "listening tour" with stops in Cleveland, Toledo and Cincinnati.

Not long ago, majority Statehouse Republicans barely uttered a peep about marijuana legalization.



Now both chambers have appointed special panels to explore the pros and cons of medical marijuana.



Sens. Dave Burke, R-Marysville, and Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, announced Tuesday they are going on a �listening tour� with stops in Cleveland, Toledo and Cincinnati.



Yuko has advocated for medical marijuana for more than a decade, while Burke said he remains skeptical.



As a pharmacist, Burke said he knows that �All chemicals can cause both harm and benefits, depending on the use.� He said he will remain open minded.



�Other drugs are administered and overseen by the federal government,� Burke said. �If we are going to use a substance as a drug, to me, it should follow that process. My fear in the state process is there are variabilities from state to state.�



Burke wonders if a person who travels from Ohio to California with a prescription is going to get the same product in each state.



The listening tour starts Jan. 30 in Cleveland, and Burke said he doesn�t know if it will result in legislation.



Yuko appears hopeful that the Senate and House, after hearing all of the information, will move forward with medical marijuana. �I never quit at anything.�



The Senate�s announcement comes less than a week after the House announced the creation of a separate 15-member task force that will study the medical marijuana issue and come up with a recommendation by the end of March. Burke said he hopes the Senate efforts will dovetail with the House discussions.



The House panel includes members with diverse views on medical marijuana, including doctors, hospitals, business groups, and two former leaders of the ReponsibleOhio group that that unsuccessfully pushed to legalize marijuana in Ohio in November.



Nationally, 23 states have legalized marijuana in some form. Of those, four � Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Alaska � also have legalized it for recreational use. Groups have continued to discuss placing another marijuana legalization bill on the Ohio ballot this November.



Despite the crushing defeat of Issue 3 in November, an issue that critics painted as a money grab by wealthy individuals trying to build a monopoly into the Constitution, polls in Ohio have shown strong support for legalizing medical marijuana.



Both the House and Senate are reaching for the same goal of a better understanding of medical marijuana, Burke said.



�We need to determine where our friends and neighbors are on this issue before we move forward,� he said.

jsiegel@dispatch.com

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