Patients with severe, debilitating illnesses might have legal access to marijuana as early as this summer. House bill 523, introduced late last month, passed the House this week with a bipartisan vote of 71-26.
The marijuana debate has gone on for years, and Ohioans have seen several ballot initiatives start up to legalize the drug for medical and recreational purposes.
If passed, HB 523 would legalize the growth, sale and consumption of the plant for the palliative treatment of serious illnesses. How each step of that process would play out would be decided by a governor-appointed Medical Marijuana Control Commission.
The group of nine would be responsible for “regulating and licensing seed-to-sale operations of the drug, such as cultivators, retail dispensaries, independent testing labs, processors and physicians,” according to the page for Rep. Stephen Huffman (R – Tipp City), the bill’s primary sponsor.
“House Bill 523 is all about the patients,” Huffman said. “I believe that this develops a great balance for the needs of patients, physicians, and the citizens of Ohio. It also sets limits to avoid wider use of medical marijuana in the state of Ohio.”
Some opposition to the bill is because of these limitations. The bill includes protections of employers’ rights to maintain a drug free workplace; patients who test positive for marijuana could be refused or fired from a job.
Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati), one of the six democrats who voted against the legislation, said the fast-tracked bill is an attempt by state legislators to push down the citizen-led effort to legalize the drug.
“The legislature needed to take a complete and fair approach to decriminalizing marijuana by supporting automatic expungement for past offenders and ensuring patients can access their medicine without fear of losing their job or unemployment benefits simply because they are sick,” Reece said. “The people of Ohio should – without interference from the legislature – have the fundamental freedom to make their voices heard at the ballot box and chart a course for the future of their state.”
Marijuana Policy Project, a nationwide effort to end marijuana prohibition, is backing Ohioans for Medical Marijuana’s ballot initiative, which has a broader list of illnesses to qualify for medical marijuana. While it doesn’t outline specific protections for employees, it does allow people to grow plants at home. And unlike HB 523, it would also allow the drug to be smoked.
The initiative is still moving forward. It’s in the middle of its statewide signature drive, which spans from April to June. The need to submit “at least 305,591 valid signatures (approximately 550,000 gross signatures) to the Ohio government during the first week of July.”