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Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1197 -- 11/9/23
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1197

A Publication of StoptheDrugWar.org
David Borden, Executive Director, borden@drcnet.org
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"

Please support our newsletter with a recurring or one-time donation! https://stopthedrugwar.org/donate

Table of Contents:

1. OHIO VOTERS LEGALIZE MARIJUANA [FEATURE]
With Ohio joining the ranks of the legal marijuana states, a majority of Americans now live with legalization. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/08/ohio_voters_legalize_marijuana

2. BUCKEYE VOTERS COULD MAKE OHIO THE 24TH LEGAL MARIJUANA STATE ON
TUESDAY [FEATURE]
Marijuana may be about to conquer another Midwest state. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/03/buckeye_voters_could_make_ohio

3. SAN FRANCISCO TASK FORCE TO CHARGE FENTANYL ODS AS HOMICIDES, PERU
HEALER STABBED, MORE... (10/30/23)
A Kansas poll has two-thirds support for marijuana legalization, a
bipartisan group of lawmakers calls on DEA to deschedule marijuana, and
more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/oct/30/san_francisco_task_force_charge

4. OH POLLS SAY POT INITIATIVE WILL PASS NEXT WEEK, WHITE HOUSE URGES
NALOXONE IN SCHOOLS, MORE... (11/1/23)
A Colorado safe injection site bill gets pulled in the face of a
gubernatorial veto threat, the New York Senate attempts to address
issues hampering the rollout of the legal marijuana industry, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/01/oh_polls_say_pot_initiative_will

5. CT DOUBLES AMOUNT OF WEED YOU CAN BUY LEGALLY, BOLIVIA COCA
CULTIVATION DROPS, MORE... (11/2/23)
Vancouver Police crack down on shops selling magic mushrooms,
Pennsylvania lawmakers consider marijuana legalization -- including a
state liquor store model -- and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/02/ct_doubles_amount_weed_you_can

6. HOUSE LEGAL WEED BILL REINTRODUCED, PERU ERADICATES COCA CROPS,
MORE... (11/3/23)
Most Michigan state job seekers will not have to worry about
pre-employment pot tests anymore, the Senate approves a bill that would
allow VA docs to recommend medical marijuana for veterans, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/03/house_legal_weed_bill

7. UN SAYS AFGHAN OPIUM PRODUCTION PLUMMETS, RAIDED VANCOUVER MAGIC
MUSHROOM SHOP REOPENS, MORE... (11/6/23)
Sweden is moving to broaden access to the opiate overdose drug naloxone,
one of three Vancouver magic mushoom shops raided by police last week
has reopened and the other two will be reopening shortly, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/06/un_says_afghan_opium_production

8. HOUSE COMMITTEE BLOCKS DC LEGAL WEED SALES, COLOMBIA HACK EXPOSES DEA AGENTS, MORE... (11/7/23)
A New York assemblyman wants to ban marijuana billboards, Utah medical marijuana dispensary workers vote to unionize, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/07/house_committee_blocks_dc_legal

9. GALLUP POLL HAS SUPPORT FOR LEGALIZING POT AT ALL-TIME HIGH, HOUSE
MOVE TO BLOCK WEED RESCHEDULING, MORE... (11/8/23)
The Florida Supreme Court hears oral arguments over whether a marijuana legalization initiative will appear on the November 2024 ballot, a key
House committee chair is moving to block marijuana rescheduling, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/08/gallup_poll_has_support

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1. OHIO VOTERS LEGALIZE MARIJUANA [FEATURE] https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/nov/08/ohio_voters_legalize_marijuana

Ohio voters decisively embraced the Issue 2 (https://www.ohiosos.gov/globalassets/elections/2023/gen/issuesreport.pdf) marijuana legalization initiative Tuesday, approving it with 56.8
percent (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-ohio.html) of the vote as of early Wednesday morning. The Issue 1 abortion rights initiative also passed, with a similar margin, garnering 56.3 percent of
the vote.

Ohio now becomes the 24th state to legalize marijuana and the 14th to do
so via the initiative process. And with Ohio joining the free-the-weed
club, for the first time, a majority of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal.

"Marijuana is no longer a controversial issue," said Tom Haren (https://apnews.com/article/ohio-marijuana-legalization-election-2023-6d15efb27fdcd41e7364f2b7cd3177f4),
spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "Ohioans demonstrated this by passing state Issue 2 in a landslide. Ohioans are
being extremely clear on the future they want for our state: adult-use marijuana legal and regulated."

"This is a great day for Ohio, which now joins the growing number of conservative-leaning states that have ended the injustice of cannabis prohibition," said Matthew Schweich (https://www.mpp.org/news/press/ohio-legalizes-cannabis/), executive
director of the Marijuana Policy Project. "Our organization is proud to
have been a member of a strong coalition of groups that advanced common
sense cannabis policy for the people of Ohio by supporting Issue 2. This victory represents the culmination of a years-long effort, as MPP also
played a pivotal role in the passage of Ohio's medical cannabis law in
2015."

"Cannabis legalization is an issue that unites Democrats, Republicans,
and Independents," said Paul Armentano (https://norml.org/blog/2023/11/07/ohio-becomes-24th-state-to-legalize-marijuana-for-adult-use/),
deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws. "Ohioans have seen similar legalization laws adopted in
neighboring states and they know that regulating the cannabis market is preferable to the failed policy of prohibition. It is imperative that
elected officials respect the voters' decision and implement this
measure in a manner that is consistent with the sentiments of the
majority of the electorate."

Under Issue 2, people 21 and over will be able to lawfully possess up to
2 1/2 ounces of marijuana and 15 grams of extracts. The initiative also includes a home grow provision allowing for up to six plants, with a
limit of 12 per household, but landlords will be allowed to bar home
grows in their properties.

The initiative will impose a 10 percent retail sales tax on marijuana
purchases above and beyond state and local sales taxes. Marijuana tax
revenues will go to public safety, road improvement, drug treatment and prevention, with more than 30 percent reserved for social equity
investments for people and communities "disproportionately affected by
Ohio's marijuana policy." (That is the only social equity provision in
the initiative; it does not include any provisions for expungement of marijuana-related criminal records -- a task presumably to be left to
the legislature.)

Issue 2 will create a Division of Marijuana Control inside the state
Department of Commerce and will place the state's existing medical
marijuana regulators in charge of licensing and setting rules for
implementing the new law. Existing medical marijuana operations will be
able to obtain new adult-use licenses, and regulators will also have 40
new licenses to hand out for smaller commercial cultivators and 50
licenses for new adult-use retail outlets. No one will be able to hold
more than eight retail licenses or one cultivator license, but
cultivators will be allowed to expand their size by four- or five-fold
to serve a growing customer base.

Where retail or cultivation operations can operate will be up to
municipal authorities, who can prohibit them from operating, but who
cannnot force closure or limitation of existing marijuana facilities.

And Issue 2 will allow employers to fire or refuse to hire employees who
fail marijuana drug tests.

Because the measure is a statutory question rather than a constitutional amendment, state lawmakers have the option of amending, or even
repealing, its provisions. Prior to today's vote, members of the GOP-led
Ohio Senate passed a resolution (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/ohio-senate-urges-voters-to-oppose-marijuana-legalization-on-the-ballot-citing-anti-drug-talking-points/)
urging voters to reject the initiative and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine
spoke out against the measure. The state's Senate leader has also
expressed his desire to revisit provisions of the new law and propose (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/if-ohio-voters-pass-marijuana-legalization-measure-senate-president-says-hell-push-for-reviewing-it-and-repealing-things/)
legislative changes, so the fight is not over.

Provisions in the law legalizing the possession and home cultivation of marijuana by adults take effect upon certification of the election
results December 7th. The measure calls upon regulators to begin issuing
retail licenses by late 2024.



================ ...
___________________

It's time to correct the mistake:
Truth:the Anti-drugwar
<http://www.briancbennett.com>

Cops say legalize drugs--find out why:
<http://www.leap.cc>
Stoners are people too:
<http://www.cannabisconsumers.org>
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