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State Representative Jim Buchy
Medical
Marijuana in Ohio: What’s Ahead?
During my time in the state legislature, I have fought tooth and nail
to protect families all across our state. As you may know, Governor
Kasich recently signed into law House Bill 523, which legalizes
medicinal marijuana and establishes the Marijuana Control Program to
regulate its use. In spite of my opposition to creating any means of
legalizing marijuana, there are many different facets of this bill that
Ohioans should be aware of that serve to protect us and our children
from harm.
In the United States, marijuana is treated as a Schedule I substance,
meaning that it has no accepted medical use, is unsafe, and has a high
potential for abuse. In this bill, however, marijuana is treated as a
Schedule II substance, meaning that while there is potential for abuse,
it does have medicinal value. This opens the door for new research into
the possible benefits of the plant and its extracts, and even requires
physicians that prescribe medicinal marijuana to a patient to submit a
report to the state Medical Board to evaluate their progress. This
legislation also urged Congress to officially reschedule marijuana from
Schedule I to Schedule II to encourage research nationwide.
The Marijuana Control Program will put in place a number of thorough
restrictions to ensure that any marijuana being cultivated is only for
medicinal purposes. The personal cultivation of marijuana still remains
illegal, and patients will not be able to smoke the medications they
receive. In addition, driving under the influence of marijuana is still
an offense.
Physicians must undergo a thorough certification process before being
able to prescribe to patients. Access to these substances will be
strictly regulated, as patients must be diagnosed with a qualifying
medical condition to be considered. Cultivators and owners of
dispensaries will be required to undergo a criminal background check,
and dispensaries will be strictly regulated and inspected. They will
also not be permitted to be within 500 feet of our churches, schools,
parks, and libraries, and any forms of the drug that may be attractive
to our children will be prohibited. In addition, local municipalities
will have the power to limit or prohibit medicinal marijuana
dispensaries in our communities, maintaining home rule.
One benefit of legalizing medical marijuana is that it will reduce the
amount of opiates that doctors are prescribing. Marijuana is a much
safer drug, and with less prescribed opiates, this may help reduce the
number of drug addiction and overdoses in Ohio.
It is our responsibility as Ohioans to ensure that the right decisions
are made for our state by holding our government accountable. Over the
next two years as this law is implemented, it is my hope that our
legislators and appointees will hold the interests of Ohio’s families
in the highest regard, and will continue to fight to keep drugs out of
the hands of children and off of our streets.
I appreciate hearing from you regarding the most important issues of
the day. Please inform me of your opinion on current topics by
completing a survey at tinyurl.com/buchyjuly2016
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