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Updated: 4:58 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 | Posted: 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016
Ohio to start statewide
hearings on medical marijuana
By http://www.journal-news.com/staff/laura-a-bischoff/" rel="nofollow - Columbus bureau
COLUMUS —
Just
two months after voters soundly rejected a constitutional amendment to legalize
marijuana, two state senators will kick off a statewide “listening tour” later
this month to find out what Ohioans think of medical marijuana.
State
Sens. Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, and Dave Burke, R-Marysville, plan to hold
day-long meetings in Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Columbus and Toledo and use what they hear to weigh
whether to draft medical marijuana legislation later this year.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/news/local/ohiomarijuana/" rel="nofollow -
Both
men oppose legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Yuko has long advocated
for legalizing medical marijuana while Burke, a pharmacist, said he remains
skeptical about allowing states to circumvent the federal drug approval
process.
Yuko
and Burke’s efforts will coincide with an Ohio House-appointed task force on
medical marijuana that is expected to make its report by March 31.
Both
said they would listen to all sides of the issue.
“We’re
going to listen to the nurses. We’re going to listen to the doctors. We’re
going to listen to the different organizations, we’re going to listen to the
patients,” Yuko said. “We’re not going to call upon what other elected leaders
to tell us what should or shouldn’t be in there. We’re going to listen to
people who are most affected by it, who live by it every single day.”
In
November, voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize
marijuana for medical and recreational use. Its 65-35 percent failure is
largely attributed to the proposed structure that would have granted exclusive
marijuana cultivation rights to the 10 investor groups that were bankrolling
the campaign.
SPEAK OUT
Do
you think Ohio
should legalize marijuana for medical use? Speak out on our https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ohio-Politics/526163074188703" rel="nofollow -
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