Medical marijuana could be available to an estimated 215,000 Ohioans with qualifying medical conditions by 2018 if voters okay a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. A year after Ohioans soundly defeated ResponsibleOhio's for-profit plan to legalize marijuana for recreational and medical purposes, a national group with a successful track record in other states is pushing a medical marijuana-only issue for the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Medical marijuana could be available to an estimated 215,000 Ohioans with qualifying medical conditions by 2018 if voters okay a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

A year after Ohioans soundly defeated ResponsibleOhio�s for-profit plan to legalize marijuana for recreational and medical purposes, a national group with a successful track record in other states is pushing a medical marijuana-only issue for the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

The Marijuana Policy Project, based on Washington, D.C., announced detailed plans today for a campaign to gather 305,291 signatures of registered voters to put a medical marijuana constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall. The national organization will work through an Ohio affiliate, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana.

�The Ohio initiative is similar to the medical-marijuana laws in 23 states and the District of Columbia,� said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. �The Ohio initiative will allow patients with a list of medical problems to use, possess, and grow their own medical marijuana if they have the approval of their physicians.�

If the issue passes, a newly created agency of state government would issue identification cards for people with qualifying ailments, and issues licenses to businesses to grow, process and selling medical marijuana to patients. People could also grow up to six plants at home.

Kampia said he was initially concerned after Ohio voters slammed ResponsibleOhio by a nearly two-to-one margin last year.

�After election day, the idea of working in Ohio wasn�t really on the radar,� he said in a conference call this morning. �But voters in all states make a distinction between medical marijuana and full legalization of marijuana. It�s pretty clear the initiative last year in Ohio failed...because it was for full legalization and not medical marijuana, it chose winners and losers, and was in a off-year election when turnout is lower and older.�

�None of those things apply to our proposal,� he said.

Backers said the language for the proposal will be submitted to Attorney General Mike DeWine in the next week or so.

After that, the issue would require approval by the Ohio Ballot Board before being cleared to collect the signatures required to place the issue on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.

It would be on the same timeline as two state legislative committees which are considering action on potential medical marijuana laws.

But Kampia said his group won't wait for state lawmakers.

�Our view of the legislature is they�ve had a couple of decades to do something and not taken any action. We view the state legislature as being composed of a stew of legislators, many of whom are hostile, and some are supportive.�

People with �cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, severe pain, post-traumatic stress disorder� and other medical conditions could qualify for medical marijuana cards.

The proposal would set up a network of marijuana growers, processors and retailers.

The full text of the proposal and a question and answer section are located online at https://ohioansformmj.org/initiative/

ajohnson@dispatch.com

@ohioaj