• FOPOhio Opposes Ohio Issue 3
    Posted On: Sep 14, 2015

    http://staticapp.icpsc.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/1534501/07d0b5f819cc2b6d3984502af4ea80da/image/pngFor Immediate Release

    September 14, 2015

    Contact: Jay McDonald (740)-225-0849 

     

    Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio Voices Opposition to Issue 3

     

    COLUMBUS- Citing significant public safety concerns, the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio today announced its strong opposition to State Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a monopoly for a small group of investors over the cultivation and sale of marijuana in Ohio.

     

    Members of the Ohio FOP opposed Issue 3 on public safety grounds, pointing to the absence of viable enforcement mechanisms and the danger posed to minors by many of the amendment’s key provisions.

     

    “This proposal would make the daily challenges of our jobs even harder,” said Jay McDonald, President of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio.  “How can we keep children safe when adults can legally possess significant quantities of marijuana at home within easy reach, or when marijuana retail stores can operate within a stone’s throw of a newly built school or daycare? Issue 3 is a nightmare for the law enforcement community.”

     

    The constitutional amendment proposed by Issue 3 would authorize the possession of up to 9 ounces of marijuana for adults 21 and over – eight ounces of homegrown marijuana and one ounce of commercially purchased marijuana – which would allow a heavy recreational user to maintain a 16-month supply at home. Although the amendment distinguishes between homegrown and commercial marijuana, there is no way for law enforcement officers to distinguish between commercial, homegrown, or illegal marijuana.

     

    Under the amendment, homegrown marijuana must be kept under lock and key to protect minors, but no clear enforcement mechanism exists. Issue 3 does not require any measures to secure commercial marijuana or marijuana-infused edibles — like cookies, brownies, and candies — that are particularly appealing to children, and often contain dangerously high concentrations of THC.

     

    In addition to limiting the number of cultivation sites around the state, Issue 3 would also authorize up to 1,159 retail marijuana stores—more than the number of Starbucks or McDonald’s locations and nearly three times the number of state liquor stores in Ohio.

     

    The proposed amendment would not restrict convicted felons from owning these establishments, which may be located close to schools, daycares, churches and other locations constructed after January 1, 2015.

     

    McDonald said, “The last thing our neighborhoods need is a marijuana retail store in close proximity to a school, a playground, and other areas where children play, but Issue 3 would open the door to this kind of situation for newly constructed or established buildings. This proposal would handcuff local municipalities by preventing them from restricting zoning, which is a primary tool for promoting public safety.”

     

    Legally, adults 21 and over can carry up to 9 ounces of marijuana, more than the 7 ounces that is currently deemed felony possession under current law. In light of the driving impairment caused by marijuana use and the current absence of field sobriety tests that detect THC levels, the Ohio FOP is particularly concerned about the impact of Issue 3 on road safety.

     

    Two states that have legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana, Washington and Colorado, have experienced a rise in marijuana-related DUIs and serious traffic accidents involving marijuana-positive drivers.

     

    A recent study conducted by the Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force reveals that since medical marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2009, the percentage of marijuana-positive drivers involved in fatal traffic accents has increased by 66 percent.

     

    Last month, the state of Washington released a report indicated an 83 percent increase in the percentage of marijuana-positive DUIs from 2011 to 2015.

     

    “The reports we are hearing from states that have legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana are sobering,” said McDonald. “The percentage of driving fatalities involving marijuana-positive drivers is on the rise in states like Washington, and we would expect to see similar results in Ohio.”

     

    The Ohio FOP joins a broad coalition of law enforcement officers and public safety advocates in calling for the defeat of Issue 3 in the November 3, 2015 election.

     

    The Fraternal Order of Police is the Ohio’s largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with more than 25,000 members in more than 180 lodges. For more information, visit http://www.FOPOhio.org/

     


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