Ohio's Marijuana arms race must be snuffed out before it starts
Advocate Calls for Ohio to Regulate Marijuana Sales Like Alcohol, Proposing State-Owned Stores for Responsible Oversight.
Is a marijuana arms race coming to Ohio? Why weed should be sold only in state-owned stores.
Supporters of Issue 2 last fall argued that marijuana should be regulated like alcohol. I agreed and voted in favor of Issue 2.
Now I ask the Ohio General Assembly to regulate marijuana like alcohol.
This would include limiting the sale of marijuana to state-owned and -operated stores as Ohio did for decades following the repeal of Prohibition.
Alcohol is a controlled substance because it is a dangerous drug if not used properly.
To sell alcohol, a dealer must be licensed by the state. To serve alcohol, the facility must have a permit. The server is responsible for monitoring the customer’s alcohol consumption and must not serve a customer who shows signs of intoxication.
Marijuana vs. Alcohol
Most authorities agree that marijuana is not as dangerous as alcohol.
Marijuana has little or no risk of addiction and doesn’t promote aggressive behavior. But marijuana does impact a person’s judgment, particularly when driving.
Research continues to determine whether marijuana has any long-term impact on the developing minds of young people. These are good reasons for regulating the sale of marijuana.
Why state should control sale of marijuana
We should not, however, turn the marketing and sale of marijuana over to profit-driven private corporations.
Have we learned nothing in the past 60 years?
Have we forgotten the lies and deceit of the tobacco corporations in hiding their responsibility for the terrible health effects of smoking?
