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Another Petition For Medical Marijuana Approved By Ohio Ballot Board

Attorney Don Wirtshafter testifies at Ohio Ballot Board hearing
Jo Ingles
Attorney Don Wirtshafter testifies at Ohio Ballot Board hearing

Just one day after the Ohio House announced it would be pursuing a bill to allow limited medical marijuana, yet another group got approval to start circulating its petitions to put its issue on the fall ballot. Listen to the story here.

Ohio Ballot Board hears testimony on medical marijuana petition from Grassroots Ohio
Credit Jo Ingles
Ohio Ballot Board hears testimony on medical marijuana petition from Grassroots Ohio

Athens Attorney Don Wirtshafter with Grassroots Ohio says he’s not sold on the medical marijuana plan Ohio House leaders say they want to pass.

“It’s a very timid first step. I believe our initiative is necessary because it will force the legislature to look at this more realistically in view of the modern science on the subject.”

Grassroots Ohio’s proposed constitutional amendment would allow medical marijuana and hemp production, but doesn’t set up any kind of regulations. Wirtshafter’s group will now need to collect more than 305,000 valid signatures in order to place the issue on the ballot. Two weeks ago a national group got the go-ahead from the state to start gathering signatures for its proposal to legalize and regulate medical marijuana.

Copyright 2016 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.