Ohio religious leaders to Ohio lawmakers: “Repeal recreational cannabis-period.”

NORTH CENTRAL OHIO — Even after the passage of Issue 2, Marijuana remains a controversial issue. After religious, business, and civic leaders staunchly opposed ‘recreational’ Marijuana legalization, the election results showed their efforts came up short. With fifty-seven percent of Ohio voters supporting Marijuana, Governor Mike DeWine declared that the ‘People have spoken,’ and that he intends to give the voters what they want.

But lawmakers still have the authority to overrule the vote. The question is, how important to lawmakers is the next generation?

“Quite frankly, we are in this mess when they (Ohio lawmakers) went against the will of the voters and legalized Cannabis, an addictive Schedule 1 narcotic, for medical purposes, says Pastor J.C. Church, one of over one hundred-forty lead clergymen who held a press conference opposing Issue 2.

“Ironically the people spoke loud and clear in 2015 when sixty-five percent of Ohioans flat out rejected Marijuana. Despite that, state lawmakers rejected the election outcome when SEVEN MONTHS later, the Legislature and Governor still legalized Marijuana for ‘medicinal purposes.’ They ignored the voters. “

The recently-approved Issue 2 is a citizen-initiated statute and is subject to change. Conservatives in the Legislature who remain opposed to legalizing ‘recreational’ Marijuana are free to make tweaks to the law or even repeal it. Republicans hold supermajorities in both the House (67-32) and Senate (26-7). Senate President Matt Huffman, (R-Lima), and House Speaker Jason Stephens, (R-Kitts Hill), will be meeting with DeWine to discuss possible changes to the law before the measure is scheduled to go into effect December 7th.

“What the people have clearly told us is they want legal marijuana in Ohio,” says DeWine. “We are going to see that they have that, but we have also got to live up to our responsibility to all the people in the State of Ohio, whether they voted for it or voted against it. We want to do that in a very responsible way, and respectful way. And we should do it the Ohio way.”

Pastor Church asserts, “We will not bow down to the Cannabis Cartel that is trying to join the state government. Most everyone who voted for Governor DeWine’s second and last term knew he ran on a platform opposing Marijuana and he still got re-elected in a landslide. Why not respect the 2022 election outcome? Why does the government always have to stoop to the lowest common denominator when it comes to social issues? We need leaders with backbone who stand for principals. That is creates real legacy.”

In the 2015 Ohio General Election, Issue 3 would have legalized both ‘medical’ and ‘recreational’ uses for Marijuana. The measure would have allowed commercial-scale production and sale of cannabis at ten locations. The cannabis measure failed with just thirty-five percent of voters supporting. Then-Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected a ballot measure that would have put legalized ‘medical’ Marijuana before voters.

Based on a poll, the General Assembly passed a ‘Medical’ Marijuana legalization bill and Governor John Kasich signed it in June 2016. The biased polling was conducted by Quinnipiac University, a liberal arts college based in the blue state of Connecticut where Marijuana possession was decriminalized in 2011. Quinnipiac University has been a pioneer for the Marijuana movement. Most of its favorable polling on Marijuana is done in battleground states where policy is easily influenced.

The new controversial law will allow adults twenty-one and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and to grow plants at home.  According to National Poison Data System data, cases of children younger than age six who ingested edibles have increased exponentially since 2017. Besides clear moral objections, business and manufacturing organizations are also concerned about its impact on workplace and traffic safety. However, some in the debate have selective memories.

“I cannot believe in 2023 we are actually talking about elected officials not respecting the will of the voters and not respecting the outcome of an election,” Tom Haren, Spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said on Tuesday. Absurdly, that is exactly what happened to conservative Ohio voters in 2015. Now, eight years later with a client base established, a cannabis market share and cannabis addiction has increased.

Faith leader J.C. Church adds, “The State Legislature went against the will of the voters in 2015 and opened Pandora’s Box by legalizing ‘medical’ Marijuana. So to be fair, we want them to repeal the Issue 2 Marijuana initiative, period.”

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Proverbs Twenty-Nine, “The fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”

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