Rep. Kenny Yuko re-introduces medical marijuana bill, HB 214

Once again, Rep. Kenny Yuko has introduced legislation that would protect seriously ill Ohioans from arrest for using marijuana in consultation with their physicians. This is the second year in a row that Yuko has introduced his bill, so will it fare better than last year? Let’s hope so. Due to term limits, this is Yuko’s last go ‘round in the statehouse, so medical marijuana will need a new champion if this year’s bill doesn’t pass.

The good news is that the number of co-sponsors continues to climb – six this year, up from three last year. More importantly, with Republican Ron Young on board, the bill is now a bipartisan effort. According to news reports, Young says he began giving the idea more thought after a sick friend from church told him he had been using medical marijuana.

“He told me in no uncertain terms that he couldn’t live without it,” Young adds. “It does seem unreasonable to me that we have stronger drugs available through prescription than marijuana. I think it’s simply because of the strong cultural bias against marijuana.”

As Young’s conversion goes to show, patients sharing their stories with legislators is the most powerful tool we have to pick up support in the legislature. If you or a loved one has a serious illness and might benefit from medical marijuana, please email us so we can talk about how you can help make the passage of this bill a reality. Please include your address or nine-digit zip code so we can determine who your legislators are.

Even if you’re not a patient, you can send your legislators an email letting them know you are a voting constituent who supports the measure, but don’t stop there. You can also head over to our “take action” page for tips on writing letters to the editor in your local paper. Finally,  subscribe to our email alerts  and we’ll keep you posted on the bill’s progress.

Husband now a felon for providing medical marijuana to his wife

Sherri Burton, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, discusses the devastating effect of her husband Gary's arrest and conviction for growing two marijuana plants for Sherri following her diagnosis.

Marijuana laws in Ohio

Did you know that Ohio is a “decrim” state? Possession of less than 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) is a “minor misdemeanor?” That means you can only be punished with a fine of up to $150 without the possibility of jail time. However, possession of drug paraphernalia, such as a marijuana pipe is a 4th degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.

You can read more about Ohio’s marijuana laws, including statistics and enforcement trends, in this excellent summary by Jon Gettman, Ph.D. For example, did you know that, despite similar use rates, the arrest rate for marijuana possession charges for blacks in Ohio is about 3.5 times higher than that of whites?

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