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Sens. Kenny Yuko, a Richmond Heights Democrat, and Dave Burke, a Marysville Republican, will hold town hall meetings across Ohio on the topic of medical marijuana.

(Jackie Borchardt/cleveland.com)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Cleveland will be the first stop on a multi-city tour where state senators plan to gauge Ohio's attitudes toward medical marijuana.

Sens. Dave Burke, a Marysville Republican, and Kenny Yuko, a Richmond Heights Democrat, said they also plan to travel to Toledo and Cincinnati to hear testimony from physicians, patients, law enforcement, and anyone else who wants to share their thoughts with the duo.

Yuko, a longtime medical marijuana supporter, said at a Tuesday news conference he hopes the meetings will lead to legal marijuana use for medical conditions as 23 other states have done. Burke, a pharmacist, said he's skeptical about the medical benefits of marijuana because it is not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration as are other medicines. Burke said he has an open mind and is eager to learn more on the listening tour.

The Cleveland meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Gerald H. Gordon Conference Pavilion at Cleveland State University, 2000 Prospect Avenue East. Dates for the Cincinnati and Toledo meetings have not yet been set. Burke said they plan for the meetings to last all day, but time will be limited so written testimony is preferred.

Ohio voters in November overwhelmingly rejected Issue 3, which would have legalized recreational and medical marijuana but limited commercial growers to people financially backing the measure. Burke said the outcome -- 64 percent of Ohioans voted "no" -- didn't completely answer the question about Ohioans' feelings about marijuana and specifically, marijuana use to treat medical conditions. Polls have shown strong support for medical marijuana.

"We have a deep interest in where Ohio's at," Burke said. "We believe we should be listening to our friends and neighbors. Part of that means leaving this building."

House leaders said last week they would conduct their own medical marijuana hearings at the Statehouse in Columbus. A 15-member task force was appointed to run the hearings, invite people to testify, and give a final report or recommendation to lawmakers by March 31.

Representing pro-marijuana interests on the House panel are two former leaders of ResponsibleOhio, the political action committee behind Issue 3, which caused several marijuana advocates to question whether the panel will seriously consider legalizing medical marijuana.

Yuko disagreed with the perception lawmakers are stalling on the issue.

"I'm not quitting, I'm not stalling, I'm serious about it," said Yuko, who sponsored medical marijuana legislation in 2009 while in the Ohio House. "My hindrance in the past has been cooperation from my colleagues. I'm getting that cooperation now."

Burke said the separate efforts were a good thing and the House task force's work will likely mirror what Senators hear on the road.