Ohio medical marijuana

USAToday.com this morning reports that "several states have started reassessing their medical marijuana laws after stern warnings from the federal government that everyone from licensed growers to regulators could be subjected to prosecution."

Warnings in Washington state led Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto a proposal that would have created licensed marijuana dispensaries in that state, and like cautions have also gone to officials in California, Colorado, Montana and Rhode Island, the article said. Federal authorities recently conducted a series of raids at grow operations in Montana, helping push lawmakers to put stricter limits on the industry. Raids also targeted at least two dispensaries in Spokane on Thursday, a day before Gregoire decided to veto the proposed law.

The article continued by saying "Justice Department officials said in 2009 that, as a general rule, prosecutors should not focus federal resources 'on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.' A memo on the subject, however, did leave open the possibility of federal prosecution even when people comply with state law, but Holder indicated that would not be policy…. 'The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law,' Holder told reporters at the time."

Some 15 states & the District of Columbia have approved the medical use of marijuana, which is not legal under federal law, and about half of those states regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. It is illegal in 22 states, including Kentucky @ Indiana, but another 12 states, including Ohio, have some form of legislation under consideration. ( More Here @ Here )

The movement to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio has been reignited in another venue as well, according to a Cleveland Plain Dealer article last Monday, with Peter B. Lewis – the billionaire chairman of Progressive Corp. and well-known medical marijuana advocate -- seeking proposals to run a campaign to legalize medical marijuana in the state. The issue would go on the ballot in 2012.

"While Democratic lawmakers have tried and failed in recent years to pass a medical marijuana law in Ohio," this article says, "Lewis' latest inquiry represents a different track in that by going directly to voters through a ballot initiative, Lewis and his supporters could circumvent a GOP-controlled legislature and a Republican governor who likely would oppose such a law."