Here’s What You Need to Know About Issue 3, the Cannabis Bill Ohioans Will be Voting on Today

Ohio votes today whether or not to become the fifth state in United States to legalize recreational cannabis.  Ohio would be the first state in history to go straight into full legalization in one step, instead of legalizing medical cannabis first.

Issue 3 would regulate cannabis like alcohol for adults 21+ and follow a pattern similar to Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Issue 3 would also impose a 15 percent tax on grow operations and 5 percent on retail outlets. Critics are aware that this bill limits state cannabis producers to only 10 licensees, which interestingly enough includes Nick Lachey and NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. In order to qualify for a producer license, applicants must pay a mere $2 million.

Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, worries that Issue 3 benefits the rich. “The values of Woodstock have been eclipsed by the values of Wall Street,” Sabet said. “This is the big industry nightmare that we’ve been worried about, and now it’s becoming a reality in Ohio. For anyone who thinks legalization is about pot anymore, they need to look at Ohio and see it’s not about pot, it’s about money. Ohio confirms our worst fears about big business marijuana. It’s all about making a small number of rich people richer, not personal freedom or justice.”

Others are excited to see any changes in Ohio’s cannabis policy. The Marijuana Policy Project’s Morgan Fox said “We are staying neutral on Ohio. We generally support making marijuana legal for adults and regulating it like alcohol,” he continued, but “Ohioans will have to decide if Issue 3 is the best way for them to do so.”

Will Ohio legalize cannabis today? Or will Issue 3 meet the same fate that befell Proposition 19 in California did? Only the polls will tell.