Who Supports Marijuana? Chapter Three
This is the third entry in a series from Ohio Marijuana Card this 2018 election season. This series will detail the different political candidates running for office throughout the Buckeye State, and what their stance is on medical marijuana and recreational marijuana.
Our first entry explored why cannabis is the best option for candidates hoping to gain an edge over competitors, and why any candidate who passionately advocates for marijuana on their campaign trail will win, no matter what. You can give it a read by clicking here.
The second entry in the series explored the 2018 Ohio Gubernatorial race, exploring the differences between Democrat Richard Cordray and Republican Mike DeWine on the subject of full marijuana legalization. You can give that article a read here.
For this third edition of Who Supports Marijuana? we will be looking at the 2018 Ohio Attorney General race, and the candidates running, including Democrat Steve Dettelbach and his Republican opponent, David Yost.
Democrat Steve Dettelbach
Steve Dettelbach, a former federal prosecutor and candidate for AG, has been fairly mum about his overall support of marijuana. The Attorney General's office will often be responsible for monitoring the war on drugs in their state, so having some idea of how he will enforce Ohio laws is paramount.
It is frustrating to remain in the dark about whether Dettelbach would support full legalization, and what his plans are for Ohio's MMJ program. He appears to have no public stance on Ohio's current medical marijuana laws, but appears open (but cautious) about full legalization efforts.
With legalization measures popping up in several states throughout the United States, now is one of the most crucial moments in American politics to take a bold stand on cannabis, and Dettelbach has been nothing but soft on the issue. That said, he has vocally supported Issue 1, the amendment to the Ohio Constitution which would decriminalize marijuana for people who are caught with small amounts.
Dettelbach told My Dayton Daily News that "marijuana laws have disproportionately hurt communities of color, which is why some Ohioans have decided to change those laws."
Republican David Yost
Unlike Dettelbach, Republican AG hopeful, David Yost, has been a little more outspoken about his anti-marijuana stance, at least when it comes to full legalization. And unlike Dettelbach, who appears to support current medical marijuana Ohio laws, Yost has been fairly opposed from the start.
As state auditor, Yost uncovered errors in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program's scoring for marijuana cultivators. His methods appeared to signal a desire to shut the program down.
"This is an epic fail," Yost told WKSU, "I’m outraged. And you know it really calls into question the integrity of the entire process. The Commerce Department needs to hit the brakes, hit the pause button and needs to arrange for an independent review of how this all happened -- and whether the scoring and application process is really reliable. Is it on the up and up? Because right now, I think there are major, major question marks.” Yost did submit that it may be too late to do anything about it, however.
Regarding Issue 1, Yost has been vehemently opposed to the measure, saying that it will “create chaos." This spells out a general lack of support for other full legalization efforts, some of which may appear as early as 2019 or 2020. He has stated that he is open to amending possession and trafficking laws to allow for softer punishments for possession, but harsher sentences to traffickers as a means of deterring.
"As a career federal prosecutor who has worked to take drugs off the street,' Yost said, "I know this is an area where the details matter and a thoughtful approach is critical.”
Who Supports Marijuana Legalization In Ohio?
Next week, we'll dive into the fourth chapter of this new series and take a look at the Ohio Senate race, examining who is pro-marijuana, and who opposes.
We'll be taking a look at the records of Republican Jim Renacci and his opponent, Democratic incumbent, Sherrod Brown.
Also, if you would like to contact your local representatives and tell them that you support medical marijuana, CBD legalization or full marijuana legalization, we've written up this handy resource which walks you through the process. You can also check out what will be on your ballot by heading over to BallotReady.
In the meantime, if you are an Ohioan suffering from one of these 21 medical conditions you may be eligible to treat your ailment with medical marijuana. Click hereto learn more about what Ohio Marijuana Card's state-certified medical marijuana doctors can do for you, or give us a call at 1-866-457-5559 and our friendly support team can walk you through the entire process, and set you up with an appointment.